Three councils in South Wales have teamed up with the aim of creating a new ‘super-service’ for public protection in the region.
Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan councils propose to work together to deliver a regional regulatory service covering trading standards, environmental health and licensing.
This proposed partnership has been developed to ensure that a resilient affordable service can be delivered their residents in light of the ongoing financial pressures on each local authority. The move aims to pool expertise to make the three areas stronger than working independently, and improve efficiency by reducing duplication of work.
A business case has been prepared with a plan on how the new service will be structured and implemented. Staff, Councillors and Trade Unions will be integral to the project’s development and the proposed new model will be subject to the scrutiny process by each Council. The final decision will be made by Cabinet and each Full Council.
This plan comes as local authorities look to find new ways to work in partnership to deliver a stronger, more resilient and joined up range of services to our citizens while reducing costs where possible.
Bridgend County Borough Council Chief Executive Darren Mepham, who takes on the role of ‘Project Sponsor’, said: “In the times of austerity, it’s clear that all local authorities need to adapt to change to provide good quality services at a lower cost.
“It is an exciting opportunity to work with other councils to deliver these services, given the financial pressures that we all face. This is one of a number of collaborative projects which will be taken forward as local authorities adapt to change in the current challenging economic and social climate. Councils across Wales are looking at a range of innovative ways to deliver services across a number of service areas and I’m proud that Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan are so committed and willing to make bold changes to protect the work that Regulatory Services deliver. We will now work with Trade Unions, staff and Elected Members to discuss the proposals and the final decision will be made by each Council.”
