Published: Thursday 08th December 2022 | 10.19am
Two Staffordshire councils will be sharing nearly all their services after the proposals were overwhelmingly approved by councillors this week.
The move is aimed at improving services to residents and businesses in Stafford Borough and Cannock Chase District while saving local taxpayers around £1.2 million.
The business case for sharing has also been given the seal of approval by the Local Government Association (LGA) - the national organisation which supports local authorities - who said it was “compelling” and had been “well researched and evidenced.”
On Tuesday (6 December) the proposal was agreed by members of Stafford Borough Council then by their counterparts at Cannock Chase District Council last night (Wednesday 7 December).
Leaders of both local authorities stressed that the councils would maintain their individual identities, meaning elected members will still be in control of decision making for their respective councils.
Cannock Chase and Stafford Borough have shared a number of back-office services for more than a decade saving around a £1 million a year for the public purse. Now they have agreed to combine all the remaining services, apart from the running of elections and the council housing stock at Cannock Chase.
With less funding from Government to run services, increases in running costs, and a reduction in income, both councils face shortfalls in their budgets for next year.
The first stage of the increased collaboration will see them share a top team which will lead to a reduction in senior management costs of nearly £90,000. Councillors also heard that sharing more services can help the authorities recruit and retain staff as well as assist the councils in attracting more funding from Government.
The report to both councils said: “There is substantial evidence from our own experiences of sharing services since 2011, and the lessons learnt from other councils, that sharing services and a senior management does work.
“Councils who share services and management teams do retain their identity, deliver significant financial savings and efficiency savings, and achieve service improvements for customers.”
There are a number of councils across the country that share services including several in and around Staffordshire.
Leader of Cannock Chase District Council, Councillor Olivia Lyons, said: “I am pleased that my fellow councillors have backed the decision for the wider sharing of services. It will help us meet the inevitable financial challenges ahead but also take advantage of opportunities.
“Opportunities include being better able to seek external funding and influencing decision making by our partners locally and regionally, sharing best practices, and creating opportunities for our staff to progress in what has been a rather flat management structure as the business case made clear - yet crucially maintaining our own sovereignty and identity.”
Councillor Patrick Farrington, Leader of Stafford Borough Council, said it was one of the most important decisions the authority has had to take.
“All local authorities are facing very challenging financial circumstances and these plans can save our taxpayers money without cutting vital services to our community. Sharing services will also help us build capacity and resilience within the council as well as helping us to recruit and retain staff.”
He added: “We have a history of sharing services - and it works.”
You can see the council reports in full at www.staffordbc.gov.uk/committee/council or from `The Council` section at www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk