COUNCIL bosses are to cut bills by closing their headquarters at weekends and allowing more staff to work at home as part of a wider plan to save paper.

Offices at Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Civic Centre are to be shut on Saturdays and Sundays to cut heating and lighting costs.

But the authority will allow more councillors and officers to work from their own computers by investing £20,000 in "digital signature technology".

As well as allowing staff to verify their identity while accessing files outside the office, it will also cut the amount of paper being printed, as workers can sign off documents using a digital code.

In addition, about £80,000 will be invested in setting up a secure electronic social care record to replace the storage of masses of paperwork.

The number of photocopiers will also be reduced to save on maintenance and to encourage staff to use less paper.

Steve Sankey, the council's acting director of business services, told councillors on the business services scrutiny committee: "The benefits are huge; from not passing as much paper around to working more quickly and efficiently.

"We want to move from passing on paper from A to B to C to doing it electronically like other organisations.

"Systems will allow people to work wherever they want, provided they have an internet connection.

"Digital signatures provide security by showing who is using the system."

The council currently has 301 photocopiers in offices and schools, maintained through a £650,000-per-year contract.

The current deal expires in July 2012 and the council wants to deliver "significant savings" through tendering for a new four-year contract.

New plans will see IT officers monitoring how many documents are printed or copied by each photocopier – allowing them to see which departments are using the most paper.

Councillor Paul Shotton, cabinet member for resources, said: "Digital signature technology will save us money in the long term by reducing the need for paper and allowing us to work electronically.

"In doing this, though, we need to ensure all staff can work securely and the work they do can be tracked and audited properly.

"Initially, this will be a simple process, but, as it extends to more complex areas over the next 18 months, it will require additional technology which will cost about £20,000."

Closing the Civic Centre at weekends is part of wider measures to cut carbon emissions by 30 per cent through a £1 million investment.

New boilers at Dimensions and Fenton Manor leisure centres, extra solar panels on council buildings, and selling off or modifying old buildings with poor energy ratings could deliver savings of £5 million.

The Sentinel reported in August that the council is working on long-term plans to make Stoke-on-Trent a "self-powered city", independent of the national grid.