Councils to share services

STAFF from West Dorset District Council and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council will soon find themselves working together in one of the biggest shake ups in local government for 35 years.

Weymouth and Portland councillors last week backed plans to deliver shared services across both areas.

Councillors were told how the move, which has not been attempted anywhere else in the country, would protect and improve services and save around £8.5 million during the next five years. There would be a single officer structure for both councils, including one chief executive and one management team instead of the current two.

The joint workforce would deliver services to 162,000 residents, more than 6,100 businesses and the millions of visitors to the areas governed by West Dorset District Council and Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

Both Councils have experience of working together through their Revenues and Benefits Partnership, where they say they have improved services and saved £200,000 each year, making a total saving of £1,000,000 since the partnership began.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s corporate affairs and continuous improvement brief holder, councillor Geoff Petherick said: “Local government is facing huge financial pressures, which could lead to devastating cuts in service. Although we will still face some difficult choices, by sharing our officer structures across two councils, we can make significant savings and efficiencies that can be used to help protect vital services and make improvements where needed.”