Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance & Assets

RESOLVED

i)     To agree to secure the provision of the revenues and benefits service through a local authority partnership with Milton Keynes Council.

ii)    To delegate to the Director of Corporate Services the negotiations to secure the agreement and all legal documentation with Milton Keynes in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance & Assets and the Monitoring Officer.

REASON

The arrangements with Milton Keynes’ and its predecessor LGSS Partnership provided the Council with a cost effective, good quality service.

Councillor Landeryou reminded Members that the Council’s Revenues & Benefits service had been delegated to LGSS, a group of Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire local authorities, in May 2017.  Members noted how this arrangement had changed over the years and that the Council’s service was currently solely provided by Milton Keynes. Milton Keynes had offered to continue this service after the current contract expires at the end of March 2023. 

The Cabinet Member considered that this offer provided the best price and quality of service and avoided the costs of moving to another supplier or bringing the service in-house.  He therefore proposed a new partnership arrangement between Horsham and Milton Keynes councils.

RESOLVED

i)        To agree to secure the provision of the revenues and benefits service through a local authority partnership with Milton Keynes Council.

ii)       To delegate to the Director of Corporate Services the negotiations to secure the agreement and all legal documentation with Milton Keynes in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance & Assets and the Monitoring Officer.

REASON

The arrangements with Milton Keynes’ and its predecessor LGSS Partnership provided the Council with a cost effective, good quality service.