Local Government and the New Unitary Authorities

Last Updated on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:06

As from April 2009, in a drive to coordinate services and reduce costs, over forty local authorities are due to be replaced by nine unitary councils in Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire and Wiltshire.

Unitary status is achieved when one new Council is established to replace two former ‘two tier’ Councils (at county, city, borough or district level) so that a single authority is coordinating and delivering all the services in its area, rather than the responsibilities being divided between two separate bodies.

The Background to Unitary Authorities

This concept is far from new and these latest moves are unlikely to be the last that we hear of such changes in the public sector. In the mid to late 1990s, as part of a round of local government reorganisation that was meant to transform the face of public sector Britain to a greater extent than it actually did, a series of unitary authorities was created but many two tier systems survived.

The Local Government & Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 has since taken up the baton and sets down a new process for enabling changes to local authorities and their related boundaries to take place.

Under the 2007 Act, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has the power to invite or direct local authorities to make proposals regarding a move to single tier status and to request the Boundary Committee to advise alternative suggestions.

Touchstone Renard Management Consultants Shares 21st Anniversary Year with Singapore’s Mass Transit Railway (MRT) Programme

Last Updated on Mon, 14 May 2012 08:47

Phil Austin, Managing Director of Touchstone Renard, was delighted to visit Singapore in July 2008 to attend a series of meetings at various locations throughout the city state, including the Bishan rail depot which houses special maintenance facilities for rolling stock.

At one point, during the visit, a key metro provider quickly spotted the coincidence that Touchstone Renard and Singapore’s Mass Transit Railway System (the MRT) are each celebrating a significant anniversary this year, having both opened in the same year.

A month younger than the MRT, Touchstone Renard opened in December 1987, providing support and advice to a major UK metro client in the wake of a fire disaster earlier that year. The consultancy has continued to make a considerable contribution to client businesses in the metro and rail industries ever since.

Shared Services in Local Government

Last Updated on Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:14

In a bid to reduce costs and duplication of effort, provide better value for money or a more robust service , many local authorities are considering entering – or have already entered – into joint working arrangements with other councils or the private sector.

Certain services are prime candidates for being funnelled into collaborative working arrangements, although, theoretically, a very wide range could be delivered 'in partnership'. The usual services for consideration are legal, HR, audit, accountancy and help-desk services but a much broader array could be pooled.

Trespassers on the Railway: An Overview of the Problem Worldwide

Last Updated on Mon, 14 May 2012 08:49

The background to Touchstone Renard’s research on trespasser management In 2007, Touchstone Renard was commissioned to carry out a review of the problem of trespassing and worldwide practice in trespasser management on the railway.

From the general knowledge of our consultants, some of whom have worked in the rail industry for over 30 years, we had anticipated some of the findings but the facts and figures still made thought-provoking reading.

The information was compiled through research involving a long list of rail organisations throughout Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. The sources included railway companies, trade associations, government departments, rail safety bodies, the European Commission and others.

Why the Newly Updated ISO 9001-2008 is as Relevant as Ever

Last Updated on Mon, 14 May 2012 08:50

Introduced by the International Standards Organisation in 1987, the recently amended ISO 9001-2008 has come of age and is holding on tight to its reputation as the star performer of the ISO 9000 series of standards.