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Newcastle to transfer 200 council workers to Northumberland under merger plans

Newcastle City Council has approved plans to transfer staff to Northumberland Council as part of plans to share transactional services.

Newcastle City Council has approved plans to transfer staff to Northumberland Council as part of plans to share transactional services.

The move, which will create a single workforce of more than 400, is expected to save nearly £1.8m for both councils over the next three years.

Newcastle has approved the business case for the merger and will now start a formal consultation with staff affected.

Cabinet member for resources at Newcastle, Cllr Veronica Dunn, said: ‘Newcastle has a proud record of finding innovative ways of doing more with less.

'Coming together with our neighbours in Northumberland will, I believe, deliver savings that can be reinvested back into sustaining vital public services that people depend upon.'

Northumberland's cabinet member for corporate services, Cllr Nick Oliver, added: ‘By exploring opportunities to provide joint financial services, this will help us to look at ways we can continue to achieve high quality frontline services in a cost-effective and more efficient way.'

The new service is expected to be up and running by April.

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