An innovative project which will save Council Tax payers’ £700,000 each year has been marked out as an example of good practice which could be used as a model by other local authorities.
The Public Service Village (PSV), which proposes joint buildings for use by St Edmundsbury Borough Council and Suffolk County Council, has been showcased in a publication from the Regional Centres of Excellence (RCEs). The booklet, Transforming Council Services Through Efficiency, marks out the scheme as the first in the country to promote the joint ownership of office space to improve customer service and efficiency.
Mike Worron, Assistant Director of Improvement and Collaboration at the East of England Regional Centre of Excellence, said:
“St Edmundsbury and its partners should be commended for their focus on improving services and their commitment to securing real efficiency gains.”
The scheme will see a new centre for public services created in Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, to replace the Borough Offices on Angel Hill and the county council’s base at Shire Hall. Council Tax payers will save a total of £700,000 each year through combining services such as computer technology, receptions, cleaning and building maintenance. Other overheads, such as heating and lighting, will also be cheaper. The size of the Western Way site means other public sector partners could join the councils in the future, potentially making further savings.
A joint programme board has been set up to steer the project through. This is made up of senior managers and councillors from both authorities, including St Edmundsbury Cabinet members Cllr Nigel Aitkens and Cllr Sara Mildmay-White and Cllr Jane Storey and Cllr Rebecca Hopfensperger from Suffolk County Council.
Cllr Nigel Aitkens, St Edmundsbury Portfolio Holder with responsibility for the PSV project, said:
“The recognition this important project has received is a further endorsement of its value to Council Tax payers.”
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. I’m pleased that this project is gaining wider recognition as an excellent way of transforming our services.”
St Edmundsbury’s full council approved the business case for the PSV in February. The project will now go through the development control process and detailed studies of environmental and transport impact will be carried out.
ENDS
ISSUED BY LIZ HEARNSHAW, COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL. Tel 01284 757033. liz.hearnshaw@stedsbc.gov.uk
