IT'S claimed 'SPEND TO SAVE' and other efficiency projects at Dorset Council are likely to be an uphill struggle.

A senior councillor, who has been at the heart of so-called 'transformation' work at the authority in the past describes current plans to make savings as "wishy-washy."

Cllr Jill Haynes has also admitted that transformation work by the previous, Conservative, administration did not amount to much.

Her comments came during a discussion on an £8.6million savings plan at the council in the current financial year.

Cllr Haynes said that, at half-way through the year, there was still no timeline and no firm proposals, despite having consultants, Price Waterhouse Coopers, in to look over the books and the council plans during the summer.

"It took an awful lot of consultation and time in the previous council and it really didn't create anything much in the way of savings," she said.

Cllr Haynes (Con, Chalk Valleys) said that with only six months of the financial year to go there was still no timeline of work to be done, no idea of what the proposals might be, where savings could come from, nor any details of how they could be made.

"At the moment it's all a bit wishy-washy," she told an audit committee, adding that there was still no plan, despite being told it would be produced "in the autumn."

At the end of July £2.85million of council transformation projects were rated as red, or amber (ie not certain to succeed), with £3.3million given a green.

A report to councillors seems to concede that the savings are unlikely to be made by April: "To accelerate delivery of transformation across the Council Price Waterhouse Coopers have been commissioned to undertake a review of the transformation programme and identify the required £8.6m of savings in-year. The output of this work is due in the Autumn of 2024 which leaves limited time to realise the financial benefits before the end of the financial year, March 2024…

"PwC will be working with the council to recommend ways to reduce the cost of delivering services by looking at how services work within the council and the processes that are used. They have been asked to find ways that processes can be streamlined and use technology in smarter ways so the council can deliver sustainable services for Dorset residents.

Previous reports on transformation work at the council have often been less than positive with a committee in February 2020 told that despite a £5million fund for transformation work, virtually none of 150 ideas put forward three months earlier, were 'oven ready.'

By November in the same year it was reported that £3million of savings through transforming services were unlikely to be achieved.

It has been a similar picture at neighbouring Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council where increasing amounts have been put into transformation, with mixed results and few major changes.

At both councils the message has been that the changes are not only about saving money, but also bringing about a change of mindset and finding new, efficient, ways of doing things.