Title

PARTNERSHIPS

Councils to save £90,000 by sharing top staff

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough councils have announced plans to share more of their top personnel in order to make efficiency savings.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough councils have announced plans to share more of their top personnel in order to make efficiency savings.

The plans involve a new joint executive director joining Gillian Beasley, who has held the post of joint chief executive of both councils since 2015.

Under the proposals, the new role will lead place and economy work while a senior role in each council will be deleted.

The existing Cambridgeshire CC roles of director of business improvement and development, and director of corporate and customer services have also been extended to cover both authorities.

These changes are expected to deliver efficiency savings of £90,000 across both councils, as well as more streamlined working.

The move means Cambridgeshire CC and Peterborough City Council have reduced the number of officers they pay more than £100,000 from nine to two in the last four years.

Cambridgeshire leader, Cllr Steve Count, said: ‘This proposal sees us building on the success we have already achieved with Gillian Beasley as our joint chief executive driving forward an ambitious plan to share expertise, efficiency and effective practices.

‘We know how to do this sort of join up well, and driving down costs and reducing duplication is of enormous benefit for our residents and the partner agencies we work with.'

Peterborough leader, Cllr John Holdich, added: ‘While our management team is shared, we are confident that this will not damage or diminish the sovereignty of either council.

‘We retain our separate identities and while we share an ambition to improve overall outcomes for our area and our residents, as politicians, we remain focused on the particular issues each of us face.'

PARTNERSHIPS

The real leadership challenge begins after the appointment

By Pete John | 13 August 2026

The sector spends heavily to appoint the right people, but often withdraws support at the moment the job gets hardest. Pete John says it is time we thought d...

PARTNERSHIPS

Turning delay into delivery

By Ann McGauran | 12 August 2026

Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority was born amid a two-year delay to the mayoral elections and a furore over local government reorganisation,...

PARTNERSHIPS

Tourism costs

By Ann McGauran | 12 August 2026

Bath is a tourism destination delivering an ambitious programme of commercial regeneration. But it is calling for more support from government above and beyo...

PARTNERSHIPS

LGA stabilises but still faces major challenges

By Heather Jameson | 12 August 2026

As devolution and local government reorganisation reshape the sector, the LGA has improved its finances and leadership, says Heather Jameson —but must now pr...

Popular articles by William Eichler