North East Lincolnshire Council on course for its £8.6m cost-cutting target
SAVINGS of £1.7 million made in the last 18 months means that North East Lincolnshire is on course to reach its 2015 cost cutting target of £8.6 million.
That is the pledge made to the Grimsby Telegraph by the council's strategic director of governance and transformation Rob Walsh, pictured, after it was revealed that the man who was paid £70,000 a year to spearhead the cuts has left his role, five months before his contract was due to end in December.
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North East Lincolnshire Council's strategic director of governance and transformation, Rob Walsh.
Paul Spencer was drafted into the authority from Norwich City Council and appointed Future Shape programme manager at North East Lincolnshire Council when the controversial position was created in March last year.
His contract was due to end on December 31, but he left last month to work for another local authority. His deputy Dave Cook has stepped into a new expanded role of programme manager. Mr Walsh said that Mr Cook would now head a review of the council's support departments, including IT, legal, HR and finance as part of that new role.
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As reported, the Future Shape programme aims to save £8.6-million by 2015 by reducing the authority's in-house costs.
During Mr Spencer's time at the helm, £1.7-million of savings were achieved. Cost-cutting methods included 33 voluntary redundancies, 10 compulsory redundancies and a new, streamlined human resources, payroll and finance system.
Mr Walsh said: "Paul's role was to co-ordinate a number of projects and to make sure plans were in place to achieve savings and instigate a culture of change within the authority.
"Future Shape is to mitigate the prospect of elected members having to make very difficult decisions about frontline services, although clearly they still have tough choices to make.
"We brought him in because there was nobody with the right skill-set within this area and he has now passed his skills on to others so that they can continue the programme."
Mr Walsh said a £2.4-million reserve was set-aside for the Future Shape programme in 2011 and an under-spend is currently being achieved. He confirmed that the £1.7-million of savings so far means the authority is on track to reach its cost-cutting target by 2015.
He added: "I firmly believe that Future Shape has been a success so far. It hasn't been painless, but it has been effective.
"It hasn't just altered the way the authority works and operates internally but is changing the way we interact with customers and members of the public.
"When it comes to any public body there will be opposition to wages, but the complex skills and knowledge this role requires justifies the salary. Paul was the right man for the job and he did it well.
"We are now looking to the future and the next stage of the programme."
Within the next three to six months a review of the council's support departments, including IT, legal, HR and finance will be carried out. The Future Shape programme is also working to improve customer relations, including encouraging more consultation with members of the public.
Comments
by Grimlander
Monday, September 17 2012, 12:08PM
“PS: Sorry. Should have been 'Yes', not 'Tes'. Old polio in left arm sstrikes again, but one lives with it.”
by Grimlander
Monday, September 17 2012, 11:27AM
“Hello Grimbarian -- Tes, I'd gathered as much, which is why I'm more amused than bemused. You also will have noted that the negative ratings are multiples of 13. They also MIGHT have a link with the single source of 'multiple-identity' postings??”
by Grimbarian
Monday, September 17 2012, 11:07AM
“Grimlander - the ratings system on this site is flawed. It is technically possible (if you know how) for one individual to give as many positive or negative ratings to a single comment as they like.”
by Grimlander
Monday, September 17 2012, 10:27AM
“"FROM the other thread at:
http://tinyurl.com/8fsgqtb
-----------------
by Grimlander
Monday, September 17 2012, 10:14AM
"L O again:
I thought it would save you scanning through this thread for contact with the 'Save Scartho Bath[s]' Group and The Petition: just go to:
uu-uu-uu.savescarthobaths.com
To stop the potential for scrambling of the address, I have, of course, used 'double-u' instead of 'W'.
Time is short when dealing with what 'para_handy' beautifully called, "NE£C democracy in its finest hour, using very opaque transparency." Luvly! But it shows what the people of Grimland are up against when dealing with their [sadly] elected REPRESENTatives.
That address again:
uu-uu-uu.savescarthobaths.com
PLEASE USE IT -- with the usual three 'W's instead of 'uu's.""”
by Grimlander
Sunday, September 16 2012, 6:52AM
“...'ey-Yup, Chaps! Beat this! Apart from the fact that 'planning' a spend of millions on a 'swimming bath' unworthy of the name and inconveniently located for existing users, when less than half the amount can be spent on maintaining a highly regarded existing facility, should be of interest here -- take a look at THESE ratings! Also, of course, on this thread, the content of the 'posts' might be considered relevant?
Come on Chaps! You're slacking in your negative ratings achievements!
============================================================
by Grimlander
Saturday, September 15 2012, 9:42PM
"by AfricanMeggy - Friday, September 14 2012, 9:43PM
""Same old ," Knock everything down" mentality that has destroyed all the beautiful buildings Grimsby once had."
Dam' right, AfricanMeggie. In a worldwide career, I have never come across such a gang of philistine charlans ANYWHERE, indeed nobody comes anywhere near it for the destruction of a local people's heritage.
Mechanix - Friday, September 14 2012, 9:18AM
Dam' right, Mechanix. Don't forget about writing to your local councillors and demanding an explanation of the apparent lies emanating from their direction regarding 'CONsultation' and the dates and times of such AND the actual date of the decision to demolish Scartho Bath[s].
----------------------------
...I think I should earn at least a minus-26 rating instantaneously for that one! Don't you reckon?"
Click to rate Rating -38 Report
Profile image for AfricanMeggy
by AfricanMeggy
Friday, September 14 2012, 9:43PM
"Same old ," Knock everything down" mentality that has destroyed all the beautiful buildings Grimsby once had.The place can be renovated without any gigantic expense.The pool is ideally suited to serve people in a very large radius and has provided a lot of pleasure for many over the years.The Council are looking only at the sale of the expensive useful land.Why are we served by such pathetic politicians at every level in this country? Perhaps we need to get away from the same old model and ONLY elect independent councillors who are really concerned about the areas that they represent."
Click to rate Rating 3 Report
Profile image for Mechanix
by Mechanix
Friday, September 14 2012, 9:18AM
"Come on people let's keep this campaign running at pace, if you cant' make it to Scartho Baths to sign the petition then please go online and sign. Great work by the people who've organised the petitions, they've done the hard work for us all so far by organising things and getting the ball rolling, let's not let them down.
http://tinyurl.com/bsv75hm""
Click to rate Rating 5 Report”
by Grimlander
Saturday, September 15 2012, 8:59PM
“by justsaying - Thursday, September 13 2012, 7:52PM
by justsaying - Wednesday, September 12 2012, 5:09PM
by thisisntme - Thursday, September 13 2012, 8:59AM
...et al.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
GudEvvins, Chaps -- minus-26 and minus-23 ratings almost instantaneously -- and two at once!!
I casn only get minus-13 one at a time. How DO you do it!?
Better than merely single-figure plusses tho', innit! I think we've cracked it! Instant recognition!!”
by justsaying
Thursday, September 13 2012, 7:52PM
“Looks like the Labour people are at it again manipulating the red arrows - so just in case the truth hurts here it is again:
""We are now looking to the future and the next stage of the programme."
I've recently heard of some other transformations ( no doubt in an effort to improve customer experience, and to work towards imroving sustainability and best value or some other similar nonsense):
The removal of the out of hours service for dealing with noise complaints. This used to be an excellent service for those with noisy neighbours - soon you will only be able to report them during office hours - back to the good old days!
I also heard recently that the standard has been changed for repairing footpaths - the paths used to be repaired if the defect was more than 10mm, but now it has been changed to a minimum of 20mm " having regard to the wider principles of asset management, sustainability and best value"
Resident parking schemes areto be introduced all over the town (at a price of course!)
I also suspect that the quality of service we can expect from the customer complaints department has been quietly changed. What used to be an excellent service is turning into a joke - spending time on hold before receiving a reply, and then not even receiving a response - it hasn't always been like that - prime example of "changing the way we interact with customers and members of the public"
Maybe we should have a competition to see who can predict what Labour will do next to avoid cutting the number of senior staff"”
by thisisntme
Thursday, September 13 2012, 9:16AM
“Thanks b_racuda, s_pike, p_ranha or whoever you are today.”
by thisisntme
Thursday, September 13 2012, 8:59AM
“Now we need to find out whether or not the deputy's salary was included in the package, or was that expenditure additional to the £70,000?
He seems to have left his post around 3 months before the contract end. Does this mean he forfeits around £18,000 of the agreed pay?
What about a reward for performance? Did he go away with a payoff / bonus?
I'd like to know how someone who has had no involvement with NE£C, know the workings of the organisation better than officers who have been there years. What superior skills, over those officers, did he have to know who to fire to make these theoretical savings?
Job done then! He now has NE£C added to CV. He might then command £90,000 from the next council who would like him to do their dirty work.”
by justsaying
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 5:09PM
“"We are now looking to the future and the next stage of the programme."
I've recently heard of some other transformations ( no doubt in an effort to improve customer experience, and to work towards imroving sustainability and best value or some other similar nonsense):
The removal of the out of hours service for dealing with noise complaints. This used to be an excellent service for those with noisy neighbours - soon you will only be able to report them during office hours - back to the good old days!
I also heard recently that the standard has been changed for repairing footpaths - the paths used to be repaired if the defect was more than 10mm, but now it has been changed to a minimum of 20mm " having regard to the wider principles of asset management, sustainability and best value"
Resident parking schemes areto be introduced all over the town (at a price of course!)
I also suspect that the quality of service we can expect from the customer complaints department has been quietly changed. What used to be an excellent service is turning into a joke - spending time on hold before receiving a reply, and then not even receiving a response - it hasn't always been like that - prime example of "changing the way we interact with customers and members of the public"
Maybe we should have a competition to see who can predict what Labour will do next to avoid cutting the number of senior staff”