Newham and Havering council merger to extend to Bexley
Newham Town Hall - Credit: Archant
Top council chiefs are plotting to extend the back office merger between Newham and Havering to include joint-working with Bexley, the Recorder can reveal.
An email sent to councillors confirmed the plans, which indicate more job losses within the cash-strapped authorities.
Tony Huff, assistant director of business at oneSource – the existing operation between Newham and Havering – said “shared services are increasingly recognised as a way to find savings”.
Last year’s merging of HR, IT, fraud and legal teams, among others, created the largest public sector shared service in London and caused dozens of redundancies.
In his email, seen by the Recorder, Mr Huff said “initial discussions” were now taking place with Bexley.
You may also want to watch:
He wrote: “The chief executives of all three boroughs have by signing a memorandum of understanding expressed their wish to work together to fully explore whether oneSource can be strengthened, with enhanced resilience and further savings achieved for all boroughs.
“Over the next few months a small project team will work on an outline business case which will be considered by our respective members.
Most Read
- 1 Jailed man caught with knife in Stratford to be handed court order
- 2 Worshippers at mosque in Upton Park aim to raise £35k for Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal 2021
- 3 Cause of death remains unknown after body found in disused Forest Gate pub
- 4 Body found in derelict pub in Forest Gate
- 5 Man given community order for 26 counts of criminal damage after scratching name into property
- 6 Forest Gate triple shooting: 'Safety is everybody's business,' councillor says
- 7 Hundreds arrested after police crackdown on county lines
- 8 Thames Barrier closing for 200th time amid potential east London flooding
- 9 Player ratings: Cresswell shines for West Ham in KRC Genk victory
- 10 Newham mathematician to fill in for Countdown presenter and expectant mum Rachel Riley
“It will consider which services should be included and what potential there is for effective joint working to deliver savings.
“We will also consider what the practical arrangements for adding a third partner to the joint committee should be and what adjustments to the oneSource strategic plan might be required.”
