Tuesday 1 July 2014
Over half a million pounds to be saved as first steps in strategic partnership announced
Sharing building control, legal and ICT services could save neighbouring councils over half a million pounds under a planned new strategic partnership.
In cabinet papers published today (Tuesday 1 July) by South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire district councils, senior council officers have said that shared services through a strategic partnership could improve resilience, provide specialist skills and deliver efficiency savings of up to 15% to help protect residents from the full force of national cuts to funding.
Councillors at both authorities will consider reports to formalise the strategic partnership and consider the first shared services at their cabinet meetings next Thursday (10 July).
Shared legal and ICT services look set to also include Cambridge City Council who also published a report today to be considered by their Strategy and Resources Committee on Monday 14 July – a step welcomed by the two leaders of the strategic partnership.
Sharing ICT at the beginning of the project is seen as the linchpin of successfully sharing more services in future and just a 10% reduction in costs would deliver £600,000 of savings for the councils.
Councillors at South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire district councils are also being asked to approve modernising IT systems for building control surveyors under a new shared service. This would improve the service offered to customers and make it more efficient.
Further work will also be undertaken to look at the viability of a Cambridgeshire building control cluster. This would see councils working together to develop a new approach to inspections that could generate additional income.
South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire district councils must save a collective £2.6 million by 2015/16, and with further cuts to national funding expected, council bosses have said that a new approach must now be found to make sure important services people rely on can continue to be provided.
Council leaders have said the strategic partnership could create career paths for staff and share specialist skills which have been hard to recruit.
Over the last four years South Cambridgeshire District Council has delivered efficiencies in the region of £5 million, with Huntingdonshire District Council reducing costs by around £7 million to meet the demands of three consecutive years of 25% cuts to national grant funding.
Cllr Jason Ablewhite, Leader of Huntingdonshire District Council, said: “There is no doubt that local government is facing its biggest challenge ever as national funding continues to fall dramatically. Working with like-minded neighbours is a real opportunity for us as the alternative is deeper cuts to services. The business case must stack up for sharing services and this marks the start of a process which will see us look at all options thoroughly. Making sure ICT is in place in the first phase is really important as this will be the building block for us to work on other services with South Cambridgeshire and any other partner it makes sense to do so.”
Cllr Ray Manning, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “We have already risen to the challenge by delivering around £5 million of efficiencies over the last four years to meet cuts to our funding from government, but now we must find a new way of working as all the low hanging fruit has been picked. By working with a partner as willing as us to make a step change we believe we can make scarce resources stretch much further and ensure the services people rely on are still there for them. This is an exciting new era for us and we are determined to deliver the best results for the people we serve.”
Cllr Lewis Herbert, Leader of Cambridge City Council said: “We are committed to shared service delivery with other councils because that is the best way to protect, and where possible improve, vital services for our residents. Shared services offer opportunities for efficiency savings and that’s why we’re looking to work up a business model for a single shared waste service with South Cambridgeshire. Along with other councils, we face significant financial challenges due to reduced funding and sharing services is an important option for addressing that.”
ENDS
For further information contact Gareth Bell in the communications team at South Cambridgeshire District Council on 01954 713289, or Gareth.bell@scambs.gov.uk
South Cambridgeshire District Council cabinet papers can be viewed by visiting: http://scambs.moderngov.co.uk/mgWhatsNew.aspx?bcr=1
Huntingdonshire District Council’s cabinet papers can be viewed by visiting: http://applications.huntingdonshire.gov.uk/moderngov/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=256&MId=5533&Ver=4