southtyneside.info
Who we are
The council is the largest employer in the borough, employing 7150 people and has a 2008/11 net budget of £162.4m with a capital programme of £79.6m.
We are committed to a number of guiding principles following major consultation.
- Council tax should be affordable to our residents with increases as low as possible
- Spending should deliver value for money and be allocated to our priorities
There are 54 councillors: 31 Labour; 12 Independent; 5 Progressive; 3 Liberal Democrat and 3 Conservative. Cabinet members’ portfolios are aligned with our priorities, which were revised following the implementation of a new political and organisational structure as well as a new senior management team to ensure that we are equipped to deliver services that meet our community needs. We put people at the heart of our service delivery, working in partnership with communities to deliver real value and choice.
The council's constitution was updated in May 2008 and provides for:
- A ten member Cabinet
- An Overview, Co-ordinating & Call –in Committee
- Three Select Committees focused on our priorities
- Six Community Area Forums
- A Standards Committee, Audit Committee and committees for appeals, planning, regulatory, licensing, human resources and general purposes
The council is supported by a Chief Executive's Office and three Directorates; Neighbourhood Services, Children and Young People and Regeneration and Resources.
The council plays a key role in shaping and supporting the City Region agenda in Tyne and Wear, which will focus initially on developing transport, employment, and property regeneration and are closely involved in the emerging City Region Multi Area Agreement. The Leader of the Council is the Chair of the Interim Employment and Skills Board, which is helping to drive forward the employment and skills agenda in the City Region.
We work closely with business leaders at the Port of Tyne in South Tyneside and are the lead authority for Newcastle Airport. Both of these have a vital role in connecting the Region’s people and businesses to national and global destinations. We are also involved in the delivery of the New Tyne Crossing Project that will open up opportunities for our people and businesses.
We work in partnership with neighbouring councils and the Passenger Transport Authority to improve transport systems across Tyne and Wear and the wider City Region to make it easier for our people to access jobs and essential services, and for our businesses to connect with the wider marketplace. We are also helping to develop a City Region approach to transport governance to promote a more strategic approach to transport policy development and service delivery.
We take a modern and innovative approach to improvement and accept that other partners may be better placed to deliver the high quality outcomes our communities deserve. Examples include our arms length management arrangement with South Tyneside Homes to deliver our housing service and improve our housing stock. A PFI street lighting partnership with Balfour Beatty, grounds maintainence partnership with ISS Waterers and the development of a Strategic Partnership to regenerate the borough and safeguard jobs.
We have also developed a range of partnerships with our neighbouring councils, including a joint Building Schools for the Future programme with Gateshead Council and a Waste Disposal Partnership with Sunderland and Gateshead councils. We collaborate with the North East Centre for Excellence on procurement and value for money issues and are active members of the Regional Improvement and Effi ciency Programme, the North East Purchasing Organisation and the Tyne and Wear Efficiency Group, which oversee the delivery of procurement initiatives where a collaborative approach between neighbouring councils can deliver greater efficiency and improvement.
> Read about Irene Lucas, Chief Executive of South Tyneside Council
Contact Details:
Town Hall & Civic Offices
Westoe Road
South Shields
NE33 2RL
Tel: 0191 427 1717
Fax: 0191 456 9400
Web:
www.southtyneside.info
