HOW unitary local government will cope with services when two new councils are created in Bedfordshire next year will be on the agenda when councillors meet this month. It has also been estimated that the new Central Bedfordshire Council will save £1m in

HOW unitary local government will cope with services when two new councils are created in Bedfordshire next year will be on the agenda when councillors meet this month.

It has also been estimated that the new Central Bedfordshire Council will save £1m in 2009 and each year afterwards through a more efficient management structure.

Services will be shared by the new Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council when they are established in April next year.

Bedford Borough's implementation executive and Central Bedfordshire's shadow executive will be examining the best way to deliver services with a particular eye on value for money and minimising the risk to those who might be considered vulnerable.

Councillor Tricia Turner, chairman of Central Bedfordshire's shadow executive, explained: "In order to achieve the smooth transition of services from three authorities to Central Bedfordshire Council our priority is focusing upon the safe and successful transfer by April 1, 2009.

"However there are real opportunities for change, allowing us to provide better services for Bedfordshire residents and improve value for money.

"Sharing services can be achieved in a variety of ways, including working with other councils or agencies such as the Bedfordshire Primary Care Trust.

"Obvious candidates for sharing are the smaller specialist services such as county music services, archives and rights of way, with one of the councils hosting the service on behalf of the other.

"Sharing or separating services will be done based upon the best way to meet our customers' needs and improve value for money. We will challenge existing ways of service delivery and some of the larger, more complex services will require review after April 2009."

Discussions on which services will be shared will include adoption and fostering, archaeology, minerals and waste planning, registration of births, deaths and marriages, school transport, some waste disposal services, the youth offending team and children and adult services.

Some services, already operated separately by the existing borough and district councils, will continue to be operated separately by the new councils. These include council tax administration, environmental health, housing benefits, leisure services, licensing as well as planning and development control.

A report that will also be considered by the Central Bedfordshire shadow executive next Tuesday outlines how the savings will be made with savings being made on fewer senior staff.

There will be only one chief executive and corporate services director instead of three with the new chief executive earning between £140,000 and £180,000, the director of children's services up to £140,000 and a head of services around £90,000.

"Central Bedfordshire is about making savings and we are proposing to deliver £1m worth of cuts in bureaucracy almost immediately," added Cllr Turner.

"The new management structure will refresh Bedfordshire's local government, bringing in new talent and recognising the best of local ability too.