Cardiff council to improve services with £1m reorganisation

Cardiff council has declared its plans to improve the way waste, potholes and fly-tipping are managed by reorganising council services, at a cost of £1 million.

The move comes as the council has spent 12 months discussing the best way to reorganise the services offered, including considering transferring staff to an external private company. However, the authority has now made the decision to modify its own in-house services.

If the plans gain cabinet approval, a commercial services and neighbourhood services department would both be created. The commercial services would be made up of recycling; waste management services, including commercial and domestic waste collections; recycling waste treatment and disposal; central transport services; facilities management; cleaning; security and building management; pest control and projects design and development.

While the neighbourhood services will be made up of the street cleansing; parks/management development; waste education and enforcement; highway operations; highway asset management; highways engineering and highways design and delivery.

The council maintained that the changes will mean cleaner streets and parks and improved management of potholes. Cabinet member Bob Derbyshire also reassured residents that by taking on commercial contracts it would not hinder their tackling of residents’ problems.

Derbyshire said: “The more money we can bring in through commercialisation, the better from the council tax payers’ point of view. If we can bring in lots of extra money then we don’t have to do things like look at increasing council tax. Hopefully it will also mean we can start recruiting more and getting more young people into work.”

The new scheme has also won the backing of unions. Angie Shields, speaking on behalf of GMB, UCATT, UNITE and UNISON, commented: “The unions are pleased to be able to report that, all services in scope will remain in house. There has also been a commitment from the council, to invest in proper and meaningful development of staff, who delivers the services on the frontline.”