Council to tackle budget squeeze

Powys County Council has said that work on a new operating model is underway to provide more efficient and effective service delivery in response to austerity measures introduced as part of the country’s spending review.

Leader, Councillor David Jones said: “We have embarked on a journey to improve the way we work in response to the huge reductions in public sector funding. We have to transform the way we deliver public services, with greater emphasis on collaboration and partnership working - the traditional approach is simply not sustainable.

“Providing public services in a large rural authority is far more costly than in smaller more urban areas and it is a matter of great concern that this year’s funding settlement does not recognise that fact.

“We have made considerable progress in the past months adopting a new operating model that puts the focus on service outcomes – what we deliver for our citizens – ensuring sustainable and efficient services that meet the needs of our citizens.

“The latest budget news with its 4.6per cent cut in funding shows how essential it is that the transformation continues and accelerates. Service demands are increasing, costs are rising and our funding is falling and without change we will not deliver.

“Over the next six months the changes will concentrate on four key components central to the way we operate our business;

*       Reducing Service Costs
*       Simplified Management Structures & More Efficient Processes
*       Service Delivery Changes
*       Priorities and Improvements

“This approach will ensure that we have the right services where needed, that we build a sustainable and efficient delivery network with our partners where necessary and that our citizens feel engaged in their local services, ” he added.