A COUNCIL is one step closer to gaining national recognition.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has completed the final leg of its journey for Beacon status, which recognises and rewards innovative and exemplary teaching and learning practice.

It is hoping to be a leading light for others for its recycling and waste management services.

Led by the council's cabinet member for environmental improvement, Councillor Bob Stanway, a delegation to London outlined how the council had turned a recycling rate of 14.9 per cent in 2004/05 to 40 per cent in 2005/06 with a series of initiatives.

Coun Stanway said: "It's ironic that, on the day figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs were published, painting a disappointing recycling picture across the North-East, we were travelling back from London with a really good story to tell."

The council is the only authority in the North-East on the Beacon shortlist, and Coun Stanway is confident the borough can underline its improvement by being awarded Beacon status in March.

Coun Stanway said: "The advisors highlighted several things which were unique about our bid, and hopefully this will mark us out as being worthy of Beacon council status so we can assist other councils in improving their performance in this area.

"We have shown that you can turn figures around.

"Our results have improved dramatically since February when we introduced four-day working, alternate weekly collections and kerbside collections for garden waste, cardboard and plastics, on top of the original scheme collecting paper, tins and glass."