By David Williams
25 June 2009
The finance head of a pioneering district council has said sharing services could safeguard second-tier authorities from being absorbed into unitary authorities.During a workshop on collaboration, Grahame Lucas of Worcester City Council told delegates: 'For me, shared services are about the sustainability of districts over the next few years. For districts, are we heading for unitary [status]...or are we going down the route of shared services and the like?
'My message to colleagues in districts is, let's not build an argument for a unitary solution. Let's start talking collaboration, and this should be about sustainable services, sustaining district decision-making and influence, and maintaining local democratic and political structures.'
