COUNCILLORS have blasted cost-cutting measures that could see council officials working from home.
In a bid to cut escalating travel costs following the alliance forged between Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and High Peak Borough Council, council leaders plan to invest in hi-tech equipment to allow staff to work from home.
The move, one of several ideas designed to reduce business mileage by 10 per cent, would see the authorities use webcams and extend video conferencing facilities between the Moorlands and High Peak headquarters.
But Councillor Linda Malyon believes breaking vital ties with the public and would mark the beginning of the end.
She said: “Moorlands people should be put first, if they can’t have access to their services then would the last person to leave the Moorlands please switch off the lights.
“It should be done by choice, lots of people work from home and it sometimes works, but when you’re working for the community you should be accessible.” On Thursday, night the Joint Alliance Scrutiny Panel were recommended to support the efficiency savings and options to reduce business travel. Councillors were also told that savings targets of £12,100 for High Peak Borough Council and £11,300 for Staffordshire Moorlands District Council in 2010-11 have to be achieved.
Other highlighted actions include re-evaluating car users’ allowances for low-mileage users, not paying mileage claims that aren’t submitted within two months and assessing the potential to increase the number of low-emission pool cars for general use.
Leaders claimed that the proposed actions would also cut down on CO2 emissions in line with environmental policies.
Councillor Malyon said: “I don’t believe it’s to save money or cut emissions, they’re still going to do the travelling.
“It’s going to cost money and more.
There’s all the set-up, it won’t be cheap stuff, they’ll have to have top of the range, then there’s how it’s all going to work.”
In a statement, the district council said the plans had been made to shrink the authority’s carbon footprint and make best use of taxpayers’ money.
Arthur Forrester, deputy council leader and environment portfolio holder at the authority, said: “The strategic alliance was established in June 2008, to improve quality of life through the delivery of public services that offer the best possible value for money. Progress to date has been rapid and impressive.
“One of the projects agreed by the alliance to shrink its carbon footprint and make best use of taxpayers’ money is to reduce business mileage CO2 emissions and mileage costs by 10 per cent and £23,400 respectively in 2010-11.”