St Edmundsbury’s success in saving its Council Tax payers millions of pounds has been highlighted in national achievement awards designed to celebrate excellence in local government.
The borough council’s DR-IVE programme, which has cut costs by £3.1 million over a two-year period, was commended at the Municipal Journal Achievement Awards 2006. The award comes after St Edmundsbury was marked out as the top district council in the country for making cashable efficiency savings.
The DR-IVE programme (Dynamic Review Innovation, Value and Enterprise) brings all areas of the council’s work under the spotlight and highlights many ways in which efficiency can be improved. It is a five-year programme and the target is to identify a further £2.5 million in savings over the next three years.
The programme is designed to maintain the same or improved levels of service but at a lower cost which has, in turn, helped reduce Council Tax rises each year for the past three years.
Cllr Sara Mildmay-White, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Community Development, said:
"This commendation recognises all of the hard work and efforts both staff and councillors have put in to identifying massive savings which have helped reduce Council Tax rises year on year."
ENDS
ISSUED BY LIZ HEARNSHAW, COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL. Tel 01284 757033. liz.hearnshaw@stedsbc.gov.uk
