Merger plans given green light as two rural councils battle to cut down costs

PLANS to merge more services between two rural district councils to help save millions of pounds have been given the green light.

Hambleton and Richmondshire councils in North Yorkshire are now being used as a blueprint by local authorities across the country after merging civic services in a bid to save more than 2m over five years.

The move has already saved 851,000 for both councils, and at a Hambleton cabinet meeting yesterday councillors voted unanimously to approve plans to merge five more services.

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The departments affected include committee and electoral services, local land charges and economic development as well as finance and development management.

Richmondshire councillors had already voted to agree the move last week.

Neville Huxtable, the leader of Hambleton District Council, said: "All the major services are now shared services and I am very pleased, we are nine tenths of the way there now.

"This has got to be the right way forward. We are being referred to all the time as a beacon across the country.

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"Even though we are two small local authorities in North Yorkshire we are certainly punching above our weight."

The decision to merge was taken two years ago and combined services already include refuse collections and computer systems – as well as a joint chief executive, Peter Simpson.

Up to eight authorities from as far afield as Leicestershire and Buckinghamshire are understood to have asked for details as they look to merge their own services with neighbouring councils to combat the Government's public sector spending cuts.

Proposals are also being drawn up to combine other services including emergency planning, customer services and business support.