Southampton and Fareham latest to progress shared legal services

Southampton City Council and Fareham Borough Council are the latest local authorities to look at introducing shared legal services.

The two councils are in detailed negotiations over the move, which is likely to see five staff TUPE transfer across from Fareham to Southampton. If formally ratified by both authorities, the new arrangements would come into force on 1 April 2011.

The news comes shortly after the London boroughs of Haringey and Waltham Forest announced that they had identified legal services as one of seven areas for potential collaboration.

Local Government Lawyer has also learned that shared legal services are set to be introduced at Cannock Chase District Council and Stafford Borough Council (from April 2011).

Recent press reports in the West Midlands have meanwhile suggested that councillors from Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Walsall and Dudley are assessing the scope for single departments encompassing legal services, trading standards, IT and human resources – a move billed as potentially saving millions.

Research published yesterday by CIPFA revealed that 96% of 166 councils surveyed are looking at implementing shared services with other local authorities.