Almalgamating to save money

[SydneyRover]

‘’Scrapping 213 local councils could save £3bn says report’’

The article does not have a lot of detail such as where the savings come from are they per annum for the foreseeable future, and of course what the costs are.

The fine print is vitally important as this could end up with less representation and support for residents at a local level.

As it’s a PriceWaterhouseCoopers report maybe they should be tasked with the implementing it and underwriting the savings to guarantee any outcomes promised ................ as if.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-53934725

oops missed this right at the start

''£126m over five years and £2.94bn nationally''

Over five years 213 councils works out at around 3 million per council per year.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

It specifically mentions chief executives.  Take the chief exec at Doncaster who's full cost is pushing £200k per year.  If that can be reduced by circa 50% that is £20m a year outright just on that one role.

But it's not just about headcount reduction, joint contracts in certain procurement areas should generate cost savings also.  If you're a provider providing to 3x the area with higher volume you'll do it on a lower margin, equalling a lower cost for the authority.  Much more difficult for private companies to deliver the works at a higher profit, but more beneficial for tax payers.

The key and most difficult bit is finding the balance between demands of work/procurement and what's really needed.  Equally some areas already band their procurement together and share resource, staffing etc on some items, you'd assume the full report takes that in to account.

[Axholme Lion]

In North Lincs we like the council to be careful with our money.
It's all well and good but some councils like to splash the cash on vanity projects for the town centre. You could end up with one town paying for the benefits of another.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

In North Lincs we like the council to be careful with our money.
It's all well and good but some councils like to splash the cash on vanity projects for the town centre. You could end up with one town paying for the benefits of another.

You mean like the new council offices they built in Scunthorpe?

[RobTheRover]

In North Lincs we like the council to be careful with our money.
It's all well and good but some councils like to splash the cash on vanity projects for the town centre. You could end up with one town paying for the benefits of another.

You mean like the new council offices they built in Scunthorpe?

That will save money in the not so long run. Lots of councils have been buying/building/commissioning modern centralised office space and accelerating their disposals programme of old crumbling and expensive to maintain properties

[belton rover]

There are certainly no vanity projects in Scunthorpe.

[wilts rover]

Do people think Doncaster will get a better service with a council run from Sheffield or Leeds?

I remember when North Lincs was run from Beverley. That's why they campaigned to HAVE North Lincs Council.

[idler]

Well amalgamating Doncaster Corporation Transport did the Donny ratepayers no favours did it?