Date: 01/05/2009
A cutting-edge local government partnership has broken new ground by appointing three executive directors with responsibility for improving a clutch of vital public services across two district council areas.
The Strategic Alliance between High Peak Borough Council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council was forged last June to provide first-rate shared services that would give the taxpayer the best possible value for money.
Simon Baker, who was previously chief executive for Staffordshire Moorlands alone, has been leading officer for the two authorities from the outset.
But the alliance has now gone further by appointing three executive directors: Andrew Stokes and Mark Trillo, from Staffordshire Moorlands; and Dai Larner, from High Peak.
Their appointments form part of a restructure that will reduce the number of senior management posts from 37 to 21, saving around £460,000 a year after the first 12 months. What is more, the introduction of a string of shared services is expected to be saving around £1.1m a year by the end of the alliance's third year.
Andrew will have the statutory role of chief finance officer as well as being responsible for seven heads of service for the following service areas:
Mark will occupy the statutory position of monitoring officer, and be responsible for six heads of service with the following duties:
Dai will manage five heads of service with the following responsibilities:
Dai was previously High Peak's strategic director of planning and regeneration while Andrew was Staffordshire Moorlands' corporate director and chief finance officer. Mark was Staffordshire Moorlands' corporate director and monitoring officer.
As with Simon, the three directors will be employed by both councils while an assistant chief executive (responsible for policy, health and safety, emergency planning and communications) and the 17 heads of service will be employed by one or other of the councils but will have alliance-wide responsibilities. The entire senior management restructure process should be finished by the end of next month.
High Peak Borough Council leader Tony Ashton said: "Both myself and the Leader of Staffordshire Moorlands are united in our support for the new arrangements. This is exactly what our two authorities need to respond robustly and creatively to the impact of the recession and its aftermath on our residents".
Said Simon: "I'm delighted by the quality of these appointments and the significant progress we're making towards a new management structure that will consolidate the strengths of our two councils, creating a world-class organisation".
Photo: Ready to lead the strategic alliance, left to right, are Dai Larner, Andrew Stokes, Mark Trillo and Simon Baker.