Hounslow Council were crowned Council of the Year last night, commended for their "collaborative culture between council and community".

The award was issued at the Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards Ceremony in Mayfair.

Hounslow beat off strong competition from fellow finalists Caerphilly CBC, Cheshire West & Chester Council and Salford City Council, after undergoing live judging for the headline award category.

The judges said: "This council consistently delivers high quality services and shows it is making significant improvements to the lives of its residents.

"Its compelling narrative has depth and breadth, and the quality of the relationship between chief and leader is strong, as is the collaborative culture between council and community.

"Its work on affordable housing, with numerous different means of intervening in the market, is particularly impressive."

The accolade was received by a team from Hounslow including the Leader of the Council, Steve Curran and CEO Niall Bolger

Leader of the Council Steve Curran said: "This award is testament to the people of Hounslow and the outstanding effort of colleagues across the Council.

"In one of the most testing years in our country's history, LB Hounslow didn't just deliver – we harnessed the passion of a brilliant voluntary sector, the business sector and residents across the borough to improve the lives of residents.

"We're accepting this award for the people of Hounslow".

The black-tie event at the Grosvenor House in London saw 1,100 people gather to celebrate the innovation and endeavour in local government.

Councils from across the country were among the winners in the 22 categories.

Hounslow Council were also Highly Commended in the Future Places category which recognised councils using emerging technologies to work with partners and the public.

The LGC is a British weekly magazine for local government officers.

Find the full list of winners here.