Council in Innovative Business Partnership
Councillors from Havant Borough have agreed unanimously to the creation of a Joint Venture Company (JVC) with Norse Commercial Services which will be the first of its kind in the south of England.
The development which follows an Extraordinary Council meeting on Wednesday will create a commercial business that will focus on providing operational services to residents and customers.
In addition to providing current services, the locally managed company will explore selling additional services to other businesses and local authorities in the region.
The JVC will be set up on a ten-year contract in the first instance, starting in April 2016. During this time all profits generated will be shared evenly between the council and the business partner. A new source of income would then be available to the council to provide services to customers and to help address the estimated £1.8 million annual budget deficit faced over the next five years.
All council staff from Operational Services will transfer over to the new JVC, securing local employment in providing local services.
Councillor Tony Briggs, Cabinet Lead for Environment and Neighbourhood Quality "The forming of this Joint Venture Company will mean that Havant Borough Council's Operational Services will become Norse South East. To our residents it will be simply a new name, with the same service. However it will allow us to generate additional income to support the future work of the council."
For more details visit www.havant.gov.uk/jvc
