Independent report finds significant savings from Guildford and Waverley partnership

An independent report has outlined the benefits and savings produced by the ongoing collaboration between Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council. The report, written by Local Partnerships and published by Guildford Borough Council today, also highlights the potential for further savings and efficiencies in the future.
 
The ‘Analysis of collaboration benefits’ report shows that the joint management approach introduced in 2022, with a shared Chief Executive and Joint Leadership Team (JLT), has already generated savings of £603,000. The analysis compared the actual cost of the JLT against that of the previous independent management structures, allowing for cost increases.
 
The savings show that the partnership, even including one-off costs, has delivered more financial value than it cost, with potential for even greater savings in the future. Savings are ongoing and costs are one-off, so savings will continue to grow, with potential for even greater savings from deeper collaboration in the future.
 
Cllr Julia McShane, Leader of Guildford Borough Council, says: “This report highlights the significant financial savings and operational improvements already achieved through our collaboration with Waverley Borough Council. The creation of the Joint Leadership Team in 2022 has proven to be a wise investment, and we are excited about the potential to build on these results to drive further savings. As we continue to work together, our priority is to ensure that the services we provide to residents remain efficient and of the highest quality.”
 
Cllr Paul Follows, Leader of Waverley Borough Council, adds: “The findings of this report confirm the value of collaboration between our councils. Our joint working has allowed us to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and maintain the standards of our services. With this strong foundation, we are in a fantastic position to explore further opportunities for collaboration that will generate additional savings and benefits for both councils and the communities we serve.”
 
The report also shows that, despite increases in expenditure due to inflation, the overall cost base of both councils was lower at the end of 2023/24 than it would have been if no changes had taken place since 2020/21. The savings are particularly apparent in staffing, where the increase in employee costs has been among the lowest when benchmarked against other local authorities.
 
Importantly, there was no evidence of a fall in service performance and key performance indicators remain on track, showing that savings have not impacted the quality of our services. This is positive for future collaborative work, with the report recommending that the two councils take a more strategic approach to find new areas where service sharing could deliver even greater financial benefits.
 
Cllr McShane adds: “We have seen strong results so far, and must now make an important decision about whether we build on this momentum and deepen our collaboration. We are committed to continuing this journey, but only in ways that are strategically sound and backed by robust business cases that demonstrate clear benefits.”
 
Looking ahead, the councils are considering a range of options that could see further services shared across both organisations. These will be carefully evaluated through business case work to make sure they deliver more benefits than costs.
 
Cllr Follows concludes: “It’s great to have independent verification that the decisions we have made are delivering benefits for taxpayers and residents. Being able to demonstrate a strong and successful partnership will also enable Guildford and Waverley to make very powerful case for us to have the central role in any future unitary council covering our area.”