Date: 19/12/2007
High Peak Borough Council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council have today announced plans to establish a strategic alliance under the management of a single shared Chief Executive.
This will include a shared approach to delivering services to achieve further operational savings and efficiencies. The alliance will not be a merger, as both councils will remain separate organisations.
Staffordshire Moorlands' present Chief Executive, Simon Baker, will be the shared Chief Executive and will have equal responsibility for both councils.
Speaking about the latest development, Councillor John Faulkner, Leader of High Peak Borough Council said: "This is an exciting step forward for both councils and one that will help us improve our services and make us even more efficient. High Peak and Staffordshire Moorlands have a good history of working together, both are rated 'excellent' under the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA), are high performing, have high quality managers and staff, and are forward thinking.
He added: "Although the councils are not in the same county, geographically they adjoin each other, and have large parts of their area in the Peak District National Park. We have similar characteristics and economies and share many common issues, with similar sized populations, geographical areas and budgets. Overall, there is an excellent 'fit' between us and it makes good business sense to work more closely with Staffordshire Moorlands.
"This alliance is good news for High Peak residents as having a shared approach to services will mean reduced costs and will keep council tax rises low."
Simon Baker will be joining High Peak Borough Council from Monday, 7 January 2008.
A protocol setting out how the two councils will work closely together, while retaining their separate identities, will be developed.