Key Shropshire Council services set to transfer to ip&e
The delivery of a number of key and high profile statutory and regulatory services is set to transfer from Shropshire Council to its trading company ip&e.
The services comprise: development management (planning); building control; land charges; street naming and numbering, and local land and property gazetteer; public protection (including trading standards, environmental health, licensing and parking enforcement); historic and natural environment; and regulation of private sector housing.
A proposal to transfer these services into ip&e is to be considered by Shropshire Council’s Cabinet at its meeting this Wednesday (11 February 2015).
In July 2014 Cabinet considered and supported an interim business case for these services operating within ip&e. Following further evaluation, proposals have now been developed to transfer the delivery of these services.
Mal Price, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for planning and housing, said:
“In the face of challenging financial pressures, the proposed transfer aims to both maintain and, over time, enhance the delivery of the key statutory services that the council has a legal duty to deliver.
“The services involved contribute significantly to the council’s priorities and it’s therefore essential that we take action to ensure the successful long-term delivery of these services.
“The proposed transfer aims to reduce operating costs and support costs, and will create the conditions that will permit the generation of new and increasing income streams.
“This will help to close the funding gap that future reductions in central Government funding will create, and reduce the risk of the council failing to deliver its statutory services.
“In addition, ip&e considers it will be better able to further improve service delivery and productivity to ensure services are resilient, accessible and responsive, as well as continuing to foster a customer-focused culture and generating new income streams through trading.”
An initial 12-month arrangement is proposed involving a temporary secondment of relevant staff into ip&e, with a view to agreeing a further contract for up to five years once a number of employment, performance and contractual issues have been resolved. This is to ensure that the transfer does not adversely interfere with the council’s ability to deliver statutory services.
