Councils consider 'greater control' of services

The move would result in more than 270 employees transferred back under council employment

Three councils are considering moving forward with plans to take "greater control" of their services.

West Oxfordshire District Council, Cotswold District Council and Forest of Dean District Council have been considering proposals to return more than 270 employees to direct council employment by the end of the year.

The employees would be moved from Publica Group Ltd - a company jointly owned by the three local authorities, as well as Cheltenham Borough Council.

The councils said the move would enable them to tailor services to their individual areas better.

The proposals being considered are for a first phase of employee transfers with a second phase due in early 2025.

If they were given the go-ahead, employees would be consulted in September before a proposed transfer in November.

Most roles would transfer directly to the councils with protections to salaries and other employment benefits.

The changes would leave Publica delivering a smaller range of services for the councils such as IT and benefit payments.

Six years after the company was formed in 2017, two reports produced after an independent review recommended that a significant number of "locally focused services", such as economic development, should be directly delivered by the councils.

That came against the backdrop of significant political changes for the local authorities, new priorities and a changing local government landscape.

In a joint statement, the three leaders Andy Graham, Joe Harris and Adrian Birch said that their councils "have changed significantly over the past six years".

"To meet the current and future needs of our communities we need to take greater control of the local services we deliver, so each council can take an approach best suited to its communities," they said.

Unison and GMB union are being consulted as part of the transitional plans.

The council leaders said they would "work hard to support staff through the transition" and added that a formal consultation would start in September.