Top job-share will save thousands
TONBRIDGE and Malling Council is plan- ning to save thousands of pounds by shar- ing its top boss with another local authority. Chief executive David
Hughes (pictured) is set to split his time with Gravesham Coun- cil after his opposite number there, Glyn Thomson, retires in August. The joint role, the first shared council top job in Kent, would be for two years, after which Mr Hughes is planning to retire. At that stage, the position would be reviewed. If formally agreed, the two councils will share Mr Hughes’s time and salary equally, meaning that each authority would save more than £50,000 a year.
AN increase in the number of homes in the town has enabled Snodland Town Council to reduce the amount of money it receives from each tax- payer. The precept for the current year is
set at £227,986, costing Band D resi- dents £64.89 per year. The total in- come is being raised to £234,271, but because of an influx of residents in developments such as the large Hol- borough scheme, Band D ratepayers will pay £64.84. Overall, the number of Band D res-
idents increased to 99 in the previous year. The council employs a full-time
The combined salaries of the two bosses,
including allowances, total £226,000. The new job will have a salary of £118,000, with each council paying £59,000. The savings will be set aside
for the two-year trial so that if the arrangement were to be dis- solved, there would be suffi- cient funding in place for each authority to appoint a new chief executive. Both councils have been working together on shared management of services for some time and Mr Hughes would look for more joint working possibilities. Political control of the two
authorities remains separate and unaffected by the change.
Snodland Council reduces its precept
clerk and two groundsmen, along with two part-time secretaries and two part-time caretakers. In line with government policy these wages were frozen, which also had an impact, ac- cording to town Cllr Anne Moloney: “Our staff have been prepared to ac- cept a pay freeze and we are hugely grateful that they did this. “We have been able to drop the pre-
cept by 5p and still maintain our services.” These include looking after the cemetery, playing fields and parks. Ongoing schemes such as ex- tending the cemetery are still on the agenda.
Tonbridge and Malling Council’s leader
Cllr MarkWorrall said: “Joint chief officers have worked well elsewhere in the country so, when the opportunity to try it here pre- sented itself, we were keen to look at the proposal. “We know from our experience so far that
good shared management can and does pro- duce improved services and genuine sav- ings without either council losing its identity. “I am happy to commend this to my coun-
cil.” Mr Hughes, who has been chief executive
at Tonbridge and Malling for eight years, said he was delighted by the prospect of his new role. He said: “This is an opportunity to reduce
management costs and move forward in a way that releases resources to protect front- line services.”
Homebases rises from ashes
THE HOMEBASE store at Aylesford is expected to re- open in May – a year after being destroyed in a bank hol- iday weekend arson attack. A spokesman for the DIY retail chain said progress on
the rebuilding project had been good and it was hoped that a specific launch date would be announced soon. The shop was wrecked in a fire which burned for 42
hours after being started in one of the aisles on May 1. The cost of the blaze was estimated at £8 million. Staff who have been working at other branches in the
area since the attackwill be returning toAylesford when it reopens. The spokesman said: “They have been keep- ing in touch and are really looking forward to getting back to work with each other again.” Serial arsonist Benny Dighton was jailed in connec-
tion with the fire and two other counts during the same bank holiday.
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