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Norfolk County Council delivers £25.6m savings in 2010/11
Norfolk County Council have delivered £25.6m of savings in 2010/11, due to strong financial and performance management, a report to Cabinet has shown.
They have also delivered an underspend of £475,000 on a revenue budget totalling £579m.
The financial settlement for 2011-14 has left the authority with a huge programme of change being implemented to find savings of £155m in a three year period.
The report highlights the positive progress being made in a number of areas as the council deals with the challenges that lie ahead.
It points out that a review of more than 200 local bus services has been carried out to deliver a more effective local bus network, saving £420,000 while ensuring subsidised rural bus services continue to be delivered.
In addition, by redeploying more than 130 staff as the County Council reduces its workforce in light of the tough financial climate, the County Council has avoided an estimated £700,000 in redundancy costs.
More than 1800 members of staff and 26 residential homes have also been transferred to Norse Care Limited as part of the Building Better Futures Project, which will deliver much needed investment in Norfolk's care accommodation.
The report explains that all parts of the organisation are affected and the changes involving organisation structures and ways of working, renegotiation of contracts with providers, developing and sharing arrangements for partnership working, reductions in staff numbers and release of assets.
In light of the underspend, the report proposes that the council grants ￡340,000 of it to the three academies it co-sponsors - City Academy Norwich, King's Lynn Academy and Thetford Academy.
Ian Mackie, Norfolk County Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Finance and Performance, said: "We are making good progress on a range of fronts to transform the way in which we deliver our services and will be relentless in our drive for greater efficiencies in what are extremely challenging times for councils across the country."
Further information:
Norfolk County Council
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