A motion is set to go before full council on Tuesday urging Cornwall councillors to kill off the controversial shared services project.
Cornwall Council aims to create a joint venture company with a private partner which will be responsible for services including libraries, benefit payments, IT and payroll. The new firm would also provide call centre and back office services for health organisations in Cornwall.
A tender for the long-term project – estimated to be worth between £210 million and £800 million – is being drawn up, with BT and Computer Sciences Corporation in the running to be the private partner.
The blueprint says the council wants to make significant savings while creating hundreds of jobs by allowing the new company to bid for work for other organisations.
Health organisations including Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust have been involved in discussions and drawing up the tender contract, while the council has identified potential future partners such as Cornwall College, Truro and Penwith College and University College Falmouth.
However councillors are concerned about services being run by a private firm, their long-term future and whether the number of new jobs is achievable. They also criticised the speed with which the project has been developed and the decision being made only by cabinet.
The motion, from independent councillor Andrew Wallis, is seconded by Mebyon Kernow member Andrew Long and supported by Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors.
Mr Wallis wanted all councillors to be able to discuss the proposals and said: "The number of services that are being fully or part-privatised is staggering, and it is full of risks – in fact, I believe, massive risks. You only have to Google 'shared services' to see how many other local authorities have run, or are running, into trouble with these 'partnerships'."
Mr Wallis accepted councillors agreeing with the motion did not mean it would be stopped, but said if there was "overwhelming support, the cabinet will be in a difficult position to carry-on with the plan".
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Quelle/Source: This is Cornwall, 30.08.2012
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