LOCAL Government Minister John Healey has published the regulations and guidance to cover the transfer and appointment of staff to the new unitary council in Wiltshire.
The framework also makes clear that councils should take full advantage of their new start to bring in fresh blood to their senior management teams.
The creation of nine new unitary councils in Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire, and Wiltshire from April 2009, will reduce the number of councils in those areas by 35.
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This, it is claimed, will provide opportunities for stronger local strategic leadership, innovative arrangements for empowering communities, and an overhaul of local services.
Councils expect that annual savings of over £100m will be available to improve front line services or to keep down council tax bills.
Mr Healey MP said: "Staff are essential to the success of councils and well-being of local communities. We expect all nine new councils to deal constructively with the trade unions and to ensure staff are kept involved and informed as detailed plans are developed."
He added: "New senior officers with fresh skills, experiences and new perspectives will be vital in creating a successful future for these flagship councils.
"That is why our regulations also require the chief executive of each new unitary council must be recruited by open competition by April 2010 at the latest, and why we expect the majority of top posts also to be subject to open competition over a period."
Posted by: AndrewLye, Pembrokeshire on 5:32pm Mon 12 May 08
I have my Band D Council Tax bill in front of me for 2008/09. Pembrokeshire CC element is £638.53, My Community Council (Parish Council in England) is £33.08 and the Dyfed-Powys Police element is £165.51. TOTAL, £837.12
I wish the new unitary Council well! Will the new Council Tax be anywhere near mine as a result of the savings they will make?
I have my Band D Council Tax bill in front of me for 2008/09. Pembrokeshire CC element is £638.53, My Community Council (Parish Council in England) is £33.08 and the Dyfed-Powys Police element is £165.51. TOTAL, £837.12
I wish the new unitary Council well! Will the new Council Tax be anywhere near mine as a result of the savings they will make?
Posted by: AndrewLye, Pembrokeshire on 5:33pm Mon 12 May 08
I have my Band D Council Tax bill in front of me for 2008/09. Pembrokeshire CC element is £638.53, My Community Council (Parish Council in England) is £33.08 and the Dyfed-Powys Police element is £165.51. TOTAL, £837.12
I wish the new unitary Council well! Will the new Council Tax be anywhere near mine as a result of the savings they will make?
I have my Band D Council Tax bill in front of me for 2008/09. Pembrokeshire CC element is £638.53, My Community Council (Parish Council in England) is £33.08 and the Dyfed-Powys Police element is £165.51. TOTAL, £837.12
I wish the new unitary Council well! Will the new Council Tax be anywhere near mine as a result of the savings they will make?
I reckon it is a given that they need more outside experience to raise the standards of the Council to the norms of Industry (I know there are bad example out there too....)
It is a business they are running albeit one funded by us so hopefully this approach will help it become or remain an effective Council. That said, there will be a lot of por morale sob stories when hard decisions have to be made, hope they are up to it.
I reckon it is a given that they need more outside experience to raise the standards of the Council to the norms of Industry (I know there are bad example out there too....)
It is a business they are running albeit one funded by us so hopefully this approach will help it become or remain an effective Council. That said, there will be a lot of por morale sob stories when hard decisions have to be made, hope they are up to it.
Posted by: robbienut, Trowbridge on 9:00pm Mon 12 May 08
Councils are not businesses or covered by industrial norms. They are service providers. They have statutory obligations covered by regulations laid down in Parliament telling them that they have to provide certain services (and quite often how to do it). They have to provide services that no-one in the private sector wants to as they are not cost effective nor profit making.
Councils are not businesses or covered by industrial norms. They are service providers. They have statutory obligations covered by regulations laid down in Parliament telling them that they have to provide certain services (and quite often how to do it). They have to provide services that no-one in the private sector wants to as they are not cost effective nor profit making.
Posted by: Russell Hawker, WESTBURY on 9:43pm Mon 12 May 08
Actually, YetiJoe and robbienut are both right in the sense that:
1. good business practice needs to be used where relevant;
2. the council will be an immensely complex organisation providing statutory services in accordance with rules and facing risks that no normal business would consider;
3. many of the statutory services can be outsourced to contractors (businesses) in a way which maximises efficiency and economies of scale. Clearly, the fees charged by contractors largely depends on the degree to which relevant risks are transferred to the contractor or retained by the council.
In all, business skills and expert local government specialist skills are required together ... meaning that the job is actually far more demanding than any normal business .... and there are no share dividends or big bonuses just for reaching challenging targets at the end of the day either.
Achieving challenging targets without adequate finance or other resources is just normal for large councils.
Actually, YetiJoe and robbienut are both right in the sense that:
1. good business practice needs to be used where relevant;
2. the council will be an immensely complex organisation providing statutory services in accordance with rules and facing risks that no normal business would consider;
3. many of the statutory services can be outsourced to contractors (businesses) in a way which maximises efficiency and economies of scale. Clearly, the fees charged by contractors largely depends on the degree to which relevant risks are transferred to the contractor or retained by the council.
In all, business skills and expert local government specialist skills are required together ... meaning that the job is actually far more demanding than any normal business .... and there are no share dividends or big bonuses just for reaching challenging targets at the end of the day either.
Achieving challenging targets without adequate finance or other resources is just normal for large councils.
Posted by: Necker, Trowbridge on 10:17pm Mon 12 May 08
I think the council will improve with fresh eyes.
Bring in some specialists that have not been blinkered and let them point out all the failings there are.
Because lets be honest here, theres many.
Time to move forward not stand still.
Bring in the mover and shakers and hope they do not get dragged and broken down as we know happens.
Empower them.
Change [bold]will be[/bold] for the better in this case.
I think the council will improve with fresh eyes.
Bring in some specialists that have not been blinkered and let them point out all the failings there are.
Because lets be honest here, theres many.
Time to move forward not stand still.
Bring in the mover and shakers and hope they do not get dragged and broken down as we know happens.
Empower them.
Change will be for the better in this case.
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