More councils have pushed forward with plans to shared services. Stevenage BC and East Herts DC in Hertfordshire already share their revenue and benefits services and will now merge their information and communications technology, business improvement, and print and design departments. East Herts leader Cllr Tony Jackson told The MJ: ‘This is another opportunity to build service resilience and reduce our costs, working with a partner authority that has similar attitudes towards the shared service agenda.' Suffolk's Forest Heath DC and St Edmundsbury BC reported savings of £3.5m year-on-year from sharing services – £1m higher than originally expected.