Staffordshire councils to save £1.2m sharing services
09/12/2022 Councillors at two Staffordshire councils have approved plans that will see them share nearly all of their services. |
Eight councils in shared services talks
07/11/2022 Eight Essex councils covering one million people are in talks to share services in a bid to make savings. |
Councils look at shared leadership team
19/04/2022 Two district councils are expected to draw up plans for sharing a single leadership team. |
Three councils sign shared services agreement
21/03/2022 Basildon, Brentwood and Castle Point BC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore opportunities for partnership and collaborative working. |
Councils save over £1bn by sharing services, council chiefs say
26/06/2019 More than a billion pounds of taxpayers’ money has been saved by councils sharing services, the Local Government Association has calculated. |
Oxfordshire councils to extend joint working arrangements
16/04/2019 Two councils are considering extending their working partnership in a move they hope will trigger a ‘broader conversation’ on local government organisation. |
Councils to save £90,000 by sharing top staff
10/01/2019 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough councils have announced plans to share more of their top personnel in order to make efficiency savings. |
Councils save over £800m by sharing services
28/06/2018 Councils have saved £840m through shared service arrangements, new research has revealed today. |
Plymouth agrees to manage Torbay’s failing children’s services
31/01/2018 Plymouth City Council has agreed to take on full managerial responsibility for the ‘inadequate’ children’s services in Torbay. |
Newcastle to transfer 200 council workers to Northumberland under merger plans
16/01/2018 Newcastle City Council has approved plans to transfer staff to Northumberland County Council as part of plans to share transactional services. |
Devon councils consider sharing some planning functions
09/01/2018 Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council are considering joining forces to deliver planning services. |
Adoption of shared services ‘unstoppable’, ICT body says
27/11/2017 The trend for councils to join forces and share backroom services appears to be 'unstoppable' and will continue for the next decade, according to ICT managers. |
Council puts management restructure on hold
29/09/2017 South Ribble Borough Council was unable to agree management restructure plans expected to save £400,000 after the council leader insisted that they must ‘get it right’. |
Council to vote on shared services reform to save £400,000
26/09/2017 A proposed management re-structure at South Ribble Borough Council and an increase in the use of shared services could save the authority £400,000. |
The next steps for shared services
07/09/2017 Shared services growth is promising but councils must truly integrate to deliver major savings, argues Jason Laroche. |
Wheelie bins replaced by underground waste system
08/08/2017 The largest underground bin system in the UK has opened in Cambridge, enabling residents to put their waste down chutes outside their homes. |
Councils save over £600m by sharing services
29/06/2017 More than half a billion pounds of taxpayers’ money has been saved by councils sharing services, new research reveals. |
Kent councils pledge commitement to District Deal
16/06/2017 Two councils in Kent have pledged their commitment to formally working together, one year after they first signed the District Deal. |
Two districts look to merge planning teams
08/06/2017 Plans for a shared planning service between Cherwell and South Northamptonshire District Councils have taken one step closer. |
Leaders publish plans to create single West Suffolk council
09/05/2017 Council leaders have put forward ‘ambitious’ proposals to create a single council for West Suffolk in a move they hope will ‘drive prosperity’ in the region. |
Hammersmith & Fulham blamed for collapse of tri-borough arrangement
28/03/2017 Two members of the tri-borough have blamed Hammersmith & Fulham LBC after they ‘reluctantly decided’ to serve notice on ending the arrangement. |
Critical lessons from merging councils
10/03/2017 Laura Sharman reports on a recent webinar exploring how two councils in Australia managed large scale change effectively when they became a ‘super council’. |
Essex councils agree to explore new shared services
02/03/2017 Two Essex councils have agreed to explore further joint working and shared services. |
Call for closer working between Shropshire and Telford councils
27/02/2017 Plans by the opposition Conservative group in Telford & Wrekin to work more closely with Shropshire Council have been put forward. |
Free webinar on how to successfully merge councils
24/02/2017 This is your last chance to sign up to a free webinar exploring how councils can implement successful mergers and partnerships. |
Dorset implements cloud-based platform for environmental health services
20/02/2017 Dorset councils have carried out a shared procurement exercise for an environmental health system that they argue will improve customer service. |
The key to successful shared services
09/02/2017 Ivan Seselj explores what UK councils can learn from their Australian counterparts when it comes to implementing successful shared services and mergers. |
Three London councils set to share IT services
09/02/2017 The London Borough of Southwark is set to share IT services with two other London boroughs. |
Designing collaborative services at a time of great uncertainty
19/01/2017 Gary Pettengell explores how councils can break through traditional departmental barriers and erode the silo mentality of the past. |
Two London councils renew shared legal service
13/12/2016 Barnet and Harrow Councils have renewed their shared legal service contract for another five years. |
Two London councils to share a workforce
04/10/2016 Wandsworth and Richmond councils have launched new arrangements to share their workforce in a move they expect will save them £10m a year each. |
Three West Sussex councils unveil shared services plan
01/07/2016 Three district councils in West Sussex are exploring plans to share services in a bid to save £2m a year. |
Shared finance system to save councils millions
09/06/2016 Two London authorities have agreed to share a finance system in a move projected to save £6.8m. |
Shared services are now ‘standard practice’ for councils says LGA
02/06/2016 Shared services are ‘no longer just the realm of the most innovative councils’, according the the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Councils propose joint management to make savings
01/06/2016 Two councils on the south coast have announced plans to share senior management in a bid to make substantial savings. |
Council provides insurance service for neighbouring boroughs
13/04/2016 Sutton Council is providing insurance services to three of its neighbouring boroughs in a move that will save money. |
Strength in numbers
18/03/2016 Bt explains how their UNICORN solution is laying the foundations for much closer public service integration |
Analysis reveals potential of 'second generation' of shared services
19/02/2016 Councils have been urged to consider shared service arrangements with other public bodies, after analysis revealed this ‘second generation’ of shared services could achieve the biggest savings. |
Five councils sign 'ground breaking' outsourcing contracts
10/02/2016 Five councils from different parts of the country have agreed a ‘revolutionary’ procurement deal in a bid to save more than £50m over nine years. |
Councils unveil brand for new shared service
20/01/2016 Two local authorities in Lincolnshire have revealed the name of a new, shared back office service. |
Two councils agree to share waste services
16/11/2015 Two councils in Cambridgeshire are to share a waste management service in a bid to save up to £700,000. |
David Cameron involved in row with local council over cuts
12/11/2015 Prime minister David Cameron has come under fire after complaining about cuts to frontline services by his Conservative-run local council. |
Councils failing to adopt G-Cloud reveals survey
23/10/2015 Only 3% of councils are using G-Cloud – the government’s framework for procuring cloud-based services – according to the results of a new survey. |
County begins consultation on future of support services
15/10/2015 Dorset County Council has started its consultation on how support services such as HR, IT and legal should be delivered in the future. |
Councils plan joint management team
13/10/2015 A plan to create a single senior management team to run Malvern Hills and Wychavon District Councils could save both authorities £280,000. |
Cheshire councils take ICT services back in-house
08/10/2015 Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester councils have decided to take ICT, finance and HR services back in-house. |
London boroughs plan joint ICT service
03/09/2015 Two London boroughs have announced plans to launch a shared ICT services, under proposals to save £4m a year. |
Service integration alone not enough to protect budgets, councils told
02/07/2015 Council chiefs are 'deluded' if they think integration alone will meet the scale of the financial challenges facing adult social care, the Local Government Association conference has been told. |
County faces ‘new scale of challenge’ in finding £90m savings
29/06/2015 Up to £90m in savings could be required at East Sussex County Council over the next three years, a report to cabinet has indicated. |
New measures will force councils to merge adoption functions
26/05/2015 Councils could be forced to merge their adoption services if they fail to work together of their own accord. |
Worcestershire councils sign shared customer services deal
20/05/2015 Three Worcestershire councils have signed a deal with Civica to manage their customer contact centres, telephone and email services. |
Two South West councils sign joint working deal
18/05/2015 Gloucester City Council and Gloucestershire County Council have signed a new agreement to develop more joint working and shared services between the two authorities. |
Shared services save councils nearly £500m since 2012
11/05/2015 Councils have saved more than £100m through sharing services in the past year, according to new figures from the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Poll indicates widespread concern among council leaders over future services
27/03/2015 Only one in 10 council chiefs are confident their local authority can protect frontline services in the face of ongoing austerity, a poll reveals. |
Gloucester to join local authority legal service
27/03/2015 Gloucester City Council has announced it will be joining Tewkesbury and Cheltenham?s joint legal service. |
Two Essex councils agree to share revenue and benefits services
25/03/2015 Two councils in Essex have signed a five-year deal to share revenue and benefits services. |
Further streamlining ahead for local government workforce
19/03/2015 David Fagan and Jawaid Rehman suggest the future local government workforce will be an increasingly streamlined one. |
Two counties agree to share legal team
12/03/2015 Two county councils in the south east have agreed to merge their legal teams to create a single legal service. |
Councils to extend joint working in all service areas
02/03/2015 Cherwell District and South Northamptonshire Councils are to conduct a two-year review into extending joint working into all service areas. |
Maude backs public sector asset management company
17/02/2015 The UK’s first ever single asset management company for the public sector has been set up in the West Midlands. |
Union claims 25% of council jobs to be cut at Richmond
06/02/2015 Trade union GMB has claimed plans for a new shared staffing structure will see a quarter of jobs cut at Richmond Council by 2017. |
Shared chief chosen for tri-council partnership
03/02/2015 Matt Posser has been chosen as the new shared chief executive for the Dorset tri-council partnership. |
Councils agree staff merger, sparking job loss fears
26/01/2015 A union has warned that plans for two London councils to ‘merge’ could lead to ‘massive job losses’. |
School funding crisis
21/01/2015 Jenny Powell explores how to bridge the income gap for the education sector |
Partnership plan could save three councils £46m
19/12/2014 Plans for collaboration and a new organisation to deliver services could save three districts almost £46m over the next ten years. |
Labour proposes £500m CLG budget cutbacks
11/12/2014 Labour Party shadow ministers today announced proposals to drive further £500m back office and shared service efficiencies from local government. |
Single tier councils more at risk from 'financial tipping point'
05/12/2014 Around one in five single tier authorities, and 10% of district councils, are at risk of facing a financially tipping point by 2016, according to new analysis. |
Review to put council admin costs in the spotlight
24/11/2014 Public services minister, Leighton Andrews, has commissioned a review of administrative costs across all local authorities in Wales. |
Tri-council partnership in Dorset draws closer
03/11/2014 A potential tri-council partnership in Dorset has become more likely, with another town hall committing to measures that could save £6m every year. |
Review calls for tri-boroughs to have own chief executives
28/10/2014 The tri-borough should scrap its shared chief executive in order to deliver improvements to the joint working arrangement, an independent review has recommended. |
New joint CEO for Wychavon and Malvern Hills
20/10/2014 Two local authorities in Worcestershire have agreed to share a chief executive. |
Welsh council considers merger options
07/10/2014 Rhondda Cynon Taf is to investigate the pros and cons of merging with neighbouring authorities. |
Shared services: a new era of consistency in local government
25/09/2014 David Moody examines some of the challenges and opportunities facing councils looking to share IT services |
Tory condemns combined authority plans
23/09/2014 The creation of a combined authority for Nottinghamshire has been condemned as a ‘wacky and nonsense’ idea by a key opposition leader. |
Borough ready to scrap chief executive role
18/09/2014 A local authority is poised to scrap its chief executive post after deciding that sharing the role with another council would not be 'sensible'. |
Leader calls for single council in Cheshire
16/09/2014 The leader of Cheshire East Council has called for the abolishment of his own council in favour of a county council. |
Dorset councils consider tri-partnership
16/09/2014 Three councils in Dorset are considering joining forces under plans to save £6m by 2020. |
Winning councils named for £9m shared services fund
12/09/2014 A £9m Government fund has been divided between 80 councils to support joint service improvements, including three districts set to share a chief executive. |
Council merger would be ‘a step backwards’, argues town hall
05/09/2014 A council in South Wales has insisted it can ‘stand alone’ amid proposals to merge it with two other local authorities. |
Joint working on the cards as Rochdale looks to save £51m
01/09/2014 Rochdale is considering working jointly with other councils as it attempts to save £51m over the next two years. |
District and county agree office share
13/08/2014 South Somerset District Council is to share part of its central building with Somerset County Council in a bid to cut costs and drive joint working. |
One Public Estate
12/08/2014 The five 'golden rules' to guide successful participation in the shared assets scheme. |
Councils urged to share arts and culture services
24/07/2014 Councils should find alternative ways to sustain local arts and culture by co-operating with other town halls, a report claims. |
Kingston and Richmond to share services ‘wherever possible’
21/07/2014 Kingston and Richmond Councils are to share all services possible in a bid to save up to £8m each. |
Cambridge explores shared services programme
08/07/2014 Cambridge City Council is considering plans to share services with district councils in a bid to find savings and retain services. |
Dorset councils propose shared working
04/07/2014 Three Dorset councils are considering sharing a senior management team and developing joint services as part of a bid for transformation funding. |
A problem shared...
24/06/2014 Shared services are widely considered as a key strategy in generating savings for the UK public sector but there are still some barriers preventing their wider adoption at a local level. |
Shared services drive from East England councils
18/06/2014 Shared services should ‘be the way forward’ in the east of England if councils are to effectively face budget restrictions. |
The rise of alternative service delivery models
06/06/2014 How local government is driving innovationin new models of service delivery. |
Four councils set out plans for ‘most radical joint working’ in local government
28/05/2014 Four councils are proposing to launch a jointly-owned local authority company to transform the way they run services and save more than £55m over the next ten years. |
Districts explore joint chief executive role
15/05/2014 Discussions are underway at two Worcestershire district councils over plans to save £100,000 each year through a joint chief executive role. |
Shared services working in West Suffolk says peer review
08/05/2014 The shared service arrangement between Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council has put the two authorities in a better financial position that most, according to a peer review. |
Two councils agree £1.5m shared ICT deal
01/05/2014 South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council have signed a £1.5m deal to share ICT services. |
Shared services save councils £357m
28/04/2014 Shared services have saved the taxpayer more than £350m with 96% of councils involved in some kind of sharing, according to latest figures from the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Counties to develop shared services
11/04/2014 South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire District councils are to set up a ‘strategic partnership’ that will see them sharing services across the two authorities. |
Two councils share management of environmental services
04/04/2014 Cherwell District Council and South Northamptonshire Council are now sharing environmental services, reducing the number of senior managers and saving £200,000 a year. |
NAO calls for clear reporting of shared services savings
02/04/2014 Government departments have been warned they must be able to demonstrate what savings have been achieved through the Next Generation shared services strategy, in a report published by auditors. |
Councils prioritising shared services to cut costs, survey finds
26/03/2014 The shift towards shared services is the most popular strategy for saving money, according to a survey of local government managers. |
Why councils need to 'get on' with shared services
07/03/2014 Shared services may be boring and difficult, but they are also politically essential for the future of local government. |
West Dorset councils commit to three-year service review
14/02/2014 Two councils in west Dorset have pledged to undertake a three-year service review to meet £7m in combined central funding cuts |
Shell is helping power the journey towards a circular paving industry with Shell Bitumen LT R, a new product for roads that uses plastics destined for landfill as part of the additives to make the bitumen.
Effective Energy Group is now offering its support to the 40 Local Authorities who have received a share of the £430m to deliver their projects on the ground by surveying properties and installing measures.
Dougie Belmore explains how one of the main interfaces between you and Bacs is about to change.