Debate U-turn over office closure plan
CONTROVERSIAL council plans to axe 20 jobs and close six neighbourhood offices will now be put to councillors before any final decision is taken, it has emerged.
Furious Stoke-on-Trent city councillors had been told they would have no say in senior officers' plans to revamp neighbourhood services by creating six area centres and stopping residents from paying their rent and council tax in cash.
The changes will affect 227 staff, with 20 posts facing the axe, and see the closure of six existing Local Centres.
The council's management and its elected members had seemed to be on a collision course over the planned shake-up.
But councillors have now been told they will be able to debate the plan at a scrutiny committee and at cabinet.
The apparent U-turn comes after some outraged politicians threatened to hold a vote of no confidence in interim chief executive Chris Harman over the issue.
On Wednesday, deputy council leader Brian Ward said he was not aware of any opportunities for a political debate on the changes.
He said: "I know this is an officer-led decision, but I think it would be very unwise not to carry the council along with any re-organisation that we do."
But yesterday cabinet member for housing and neighbourhood services Councillor John Daniels, below, announced that the details will be discussed by both the cabinet and the overview and scrutiny management committee.
He said: "We can understand the concerns of elected members and groups who feel they haven't had sufficient consultation, but a three-month consultation period is in process and will conclude on September 18."
He added: "It is important that all councillors give us their input on how to improve our services for the benefit of the public."
The council has also promised to retrain and re-employ any workers made redundant.
Despite the inclusion of councillors in the decision-making process, the plans are still likely to face bitter opposition from members.
Labour councillor Paul Shotton said his group was outraged by the proposals, which he said would undo policies implemented by former elected mayor Mark Meredith.
He said: "The Labour group is totally opposed to the neighbourhood management review.
"Mark Meredith's administration commissioned a study into improving neighbourhood services, but he was looking at devolving neighbourhood management, not shutting neighbourhood offices. Our original policy has been completely derailed."
One Labour Party source said: "There is a lot of anger at the way this has been pushed through in between the elected mayor stepping down and the new cabinet being set up. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a vote of no confidence in (acting) chief executive Chris Harman over this."
One worker affected by the plans, who would not be named, said that many staff are dismayed by the changes.
He said: "We cannot see how this can work, and it certainly won't improve customer service.
"All the managers are being told to reapply for their jobs and the housing officers and the neighbourhood officers are being told they will all become outreach officers, even though the roles are completely different."
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