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A service sharing agreement will save Cheshire's two new unitary councils an estimated £6m a year, with the potential for more savings to come. Newly-formed unitaries Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester Council have agreed to share 35 services in total initially, with 11 services to be shared permanently, including back-office systems, human resources and ICT. The total value of the businesses to be shared is worth £65m. Together they employ 1,500 people. Lisa Quinn, head of assets at Chester East Council described the cost of implementing the shared services as ‘minimal'. She said: ‘Mature councils have found it difficult to share services as they have to decide who leads and what systems to use. Local government reorganisation has helped us deliver this service sharing.' The agreement meant both councils did not had to invest in new systems to ensure the services originally run by seven smaller councils were maintained. Julie Gill, director of resources at Cheshire West and Chester Council said: ‘The shared services have scope to help generate further savings as the services become more established. ‘It has helped us avoid costly and complex investments in IT and other service costs that has benefited the rest of the organisation by enabling us to focus on key frontline service issues, prior to local government reorganisation implementation.' She added: ‘It gives the ideal platform to grow the service, with partners regionally and nationally, and help achieve further savings for partners and ourselves by creating a more efficient backroom service.'

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FINANCE

Shared services deal saves unitaries £6m

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