400 workers set to join Peterborough City Council as it plans to reform range of vital public services

Hundreds of workers could rejoin Peterborough City Council as it looks to secure improvements in the way it delivers a range of key public services from household bin collections to caring for parks and open spaces.

Some 400 staff currently employed by private company, Peterborough Limited, look set to become local authority employees over the next year if the council goes ahead with plans to take back direct control of numerous services that are delivered to every household.

It means the staff could benefit from better council pay and terms and conditions and bring to an end a current industrial dispute over pay.

But the motivation for the transfer of recycling and waste collections, street cleansing, parks and open spaces, home to school transport routes, workshop facilities, facilities management and property services, currently provided under the Aragon Direct Services brand, is to secure improvements through innovation and new efficiencies.

The proposed move to terminate the Peterborough Ltd contract, which could cost the council between £2.9 million and £3.6 million to complete, will be considered by members of the ruling Cabinet on March 11.

If approved, it will end an arrangement that has been in place since February 2019 in which the council commissions the services from Peterborough Ltd, which is a private company but wholly owned by the local authority.

Adrian Chapman, the council’s executive director of place and economy, said: “Many of these services touch the lives of every single household every single week and that’s an incredible asset for the council.

"But it feels it has become somewhat distant from the council’s core business, even though we own the company.

"So our view is that it would be much better for the public if the services were fully integrated into the council’s day-to-day business.

"These are vital services that keep our city clean, green, keep the city moving and I feel that we’ll have far greater control and visibility over those services if they are based in the local authority and form part of our whole range of services.

He added: “For the front line staff there will not be job losses but in terms of back office staff, we just don’t know yet.”

Councillor Dennis Jones, the council leader, said: “We’re looking at whether we can provide these services better, not because things are poor, but because we believe that with better use of equipment, technology, better use of data, we can get more operational efficiency.”.

Councillor Angus Ellis, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “Peterborough Limited provides some of our most public facing services which touch the lives of everyone in the city.

"We want to have more control over how these services are provided as well as the ability to look at how they can be provided more efficiently given how crucial it is that the council achieves financial sustainability.

He said: “The council has recently successfully reviewed other companies and contracts, including Serco and Opportunity Peterborough - and transferred employees in house.

"This has given the council more say over how these services are provided and delivered financial savings.

“I would like to thank everyone at Peterborough Limited for their continued hard work and would like to assure all staff that we will keep them informed and updated as things progress.”

The leisure and culture services, which include Flag Fen and Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, will continue to be provided under Peterborough Culture, Heritage, Learning and Leisure Ltd (PCHLL) with 250 staff and a specialist management team.