Life at South Cambridgeshire District Council is never still for a moment – here are three very recent news items of interest (for the complete press release, please go to the news section of the SCDC website).
Neighbouring councils to consider plans to transform services and reduce costs
A plan for councils to work together to make back office services more resilient while cutting costs by up to 15% is to be considered by councillors – it will enable Huntingdonshire District, South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridge City councils to save hundreds of thousand of pounds by sharing ICT and legal services.
A lead authority would be nominated to continue the momentum for each of the shared service projects, with a goal of basing services to serve all three councils under one roof with one management structure.
The three councils currently spend just over £6 million a year on ICT, with an expected 15% saving banking contributing almost £1 million to help meet the demands of reduced funding from government.
A further saving in excess of £250,000 is expected by joining up legal teams which will help share expertise and reduce the need for specialist external legal advice.
Both shared services are expected to be in place in April next year with further phases of work to look at if further efficiencies can be found and income generated.
Cllr Ray Manning, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “We’ve already delivered around £5 million of efficiencies over the last four years to meet tough targets, but this level of savings simply cannot be found again on our own as it would mean the quality of services would fall.
"By working with our neighbours we can share expertise, raise standards and create teams that are much more resilient all at lower cost.
"The days of councils relying on government grants has gone and we need to be far more commercial in our thinking. We have already launched a property company to generate income which will be ploughed straight back into services and these moves could put the right structures to do likewise in other services too.”
Funding secured to help dream of building your own home
he foundations to building your own home have been laid after £50,000 of government funding was secured to support people wanting to get a project off the ground in South Cambridgeshire.
Over the next year, South Cambridgeshire District Council plan to secure at least 100 plots for self or custom build homes, and will create an online register to match prospective self builders with shovel ready sites.
Cllr Tim Wotherspoon, SCDC’s cabinet member for strategic planning, said: “Lots of people consider building their own home but have not taken the plunge as the costs and uncertainty often takes it out of their reach.
"This project and online register will without doubt make it easier than ever before for people to find a suitable and available site, even if your budget isn’t as big as your ambitions.”
More information on self build can be found by visiting the NACSBA website.
First Local Plan hearings
A government inspector has confirmed the timetable for issues she wants to tackle first as she kick starts the public hearings into the development plans for Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.
In a letter to people who responded to the consultations by both Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District councils, inspector Miss Laura Graham has confirmed the first hearing will begin on Tuesday 4 November.
During the first three week block she will assess the vision set out for the plans, housing need, employment, retail and infrastructure for both areas jointly.
All of the first block of public hearings will be held at South Cambridgeshire District Council’s offices on Cambourne business park.
For further information visit www.cambridge.gov.uk/local-plan-review-examination or www.scambs.gov.uk/local-plan-examination.