Council refutes 'privatisation' claim

Conservative councillors have refuted claims restructuring plans are a move towards privatisation.

Newark and Sherwood District Council's ruling cabinet, solely made up of Tories, met last night to discuss the cost-saving restructure, but was accused of having privatisation in mind.

Faced with an anticipated funding shortfall of £71/2m from its Government grant over the next four years, with £1.7m in savings to be made next year, the council chief executive, Mr Andrew Muter made recommendations to cabinet which include restructuring departments and job losses.

These recommendations will be discussed publicly at Tuesday night's council meeting, before returning to cabinet.

They include the merging and streamlining of departments and the loss of 40.6 full-time equivalent posts from a workforce 443 full-time equivalents.

Planning and economic development would shed 20 jobs, the management structure of the council, 17, and the rest would be in environmental services.

As the council has grown "organically", there are now 139 posts that have some form of management responsibility - a ratio of 1:4.6 staff.

Some planning consultancy work would be out-sourced privately, as would some work done by environmental services.

Departments would be run as businesses coming under the umbrellas of growth, community, safety, quality of life, customers and resources.

The leader of the independents, Mrs Gill Dawn said: "You are looking at privatisation through the back door."

However, Mr Roger Blaney accused Mrs Dawn of "writing headlines." He said: "Nothing is further from the truth. I reject that unreservedly."

Mrs Dawn said there appeared to be alternatives to the proposals, and that members should have sight of them prior to Tuesday's debate.

Mr Ben Wells described the proposals before cabinet as ill-thought out and rushed.

However, the council's strategic director of corporate services, Mrs Kirsty Cole it was the legal duty of the chief operating officer, Mr Muter, to provide cabinet with his best scenario to make the savings, and not to provide alternatives he believed would not.

The council leader, Mr Tony Roberts said new and radical ways of working must be found.

He said the proposals were not taken lightly and meant significant job losses.

"It is incumbent on us each year to present a balanced budget," said Mr Roberts.

Mr Muter said the current financial situation was the worst to affect local government in the post-war period.