An innovative concept which would see borough and county council services being provided at a lower cost to Council Tax payers will be discussed by St Edmundsbury's Cabinet next week (11 January) and Suffolk County Council's Cabinet (10 January).
A Public Service Village (PSV) will take shape in Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, if the Cabinets and then St Edmundsbury's full Council on 23 February give the go-ahead. They will be considering a business case, looking at whether the concept makes sense from the points of view of customers, planning, affordability and value for money. If councillors give the green light to the concept then the PSV will need to go through the development control process, with detailed studies on issues such as environmental and transport impact. Consultation will also be carried out with those who use council offices as well as borough and county staff.
The proposal involves demolishing the former factory building, St Edmundsbury House, which is currently used mainly by the borough's finance, planning, engineering, transport, computer, waste management and support staff. This would be replaced by a new, more cost effective and easier to maintain building, which would be cheaper to run. This would also house all the council's staff now working at the Borough Offices on Angel Hill, Bury St Edmunds. The Borough Offices would be sold to help finance the PSV.
Next to that would be another building for Suffolk County Council staff, replacing Shire Hall and other sites. There could also be a shared central "hub" building, with a council chamber, meeting rooms and other facilities, which both organisations could use.
Having all the council offices on one site will save money for Council Tax payers through combining services such as computer technology, receptions, cleaning and building maintenance. Other overheads, such as heating and lighting, will also be cheaper in a more modern building.
The size of the Western Way site means that other public sector partners could join the councils at the Public Service Village in the future, potentially making further savings. It is anticipated that the depot, used by St Edmundsbury's refuse freighters and other vehicles, will be moved at some point, possibly as part of a joint venture. The skatepark in Olding Road may also be moved at some point in the future, but the cost of doing this has been allowed for in the business case and it would not be moved until an alternative site has been found.
Arrangements will be made for civic events arranged by the borough council still to be held in the town centre - the Athenaeum could be one option for a base, for example.
Cllr Nigel Aitkens, Cabinet member for Economy and responsible for leading the PSV project at St Edmundsbury Borough Council, said:
"The business case makes it clear that the Public Service Village makes sound financial sense, with savings of up to £400,000 a year for our Council Tax payers. It is an exciting and innovative concept which will help us to offer improved services for our customers at a lower cost."
Cllr Jane Storey, Suffolk County Council’s portfolio holder for Resources, Finance and Performance, said:
“By working together we can make sure that our buildings offer us good value for money, deliver efficiency savings in our running costs, and ultimately improve our services for the public. These proposals are very exciting and could be an important step forward in streamlining our operations to keep council tax rises as low as possible.”
ENDS
ISSUED BY MARIANNE HULLAND, COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL. Tel 01284 757034. marianne.hulland@stedsbc.gov.uk
