Gloucester City Council and Gloucestershire County Council have signed a new agreement to develop more joint working and shared services between the two authorities.

The Memorandum of Understanding sets out the ground rules for a shared programme to provide joint back office services.

Jon McGinty, deputy chief executive of Aylesbury Vale District Council, will also take up the joint post of managing director for the city council and commissioning director for the county council.

Cllr Paul James, leader of Gloucester City Council, said: ‘The public rightly expect the two councils to work closely together and that is what we are doing more and more. The purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding is to set out clearly the roles and responsibilities of both councils and allow us to develop our joint activities.’

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said the agreement would ‘formalise’ the councils’ working relationship and protect frontline services.