THREE Gwent councils are to work closer together so they can make better use of digital services and data.
Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire and Torfaen councils are already partners, with Newport, in the Shared Resource Service (SRS) which has supplied their technology services since 2011.
Now Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen, which have already appointed a joint chief executive, and Monmouthshire will expand SRS’s operations to include their digital, data and technology services. At present Newport isn’t intending to join the full collaboration.
A combined service is intended to be more efficient and produce savings for all three councils while data gathered will give a more” comprehensive and nuanced” understanding of communities, groups of people and individuals.
It’s intended regional data can highlight disparities in health outcomes, educational attainment, and economic opportunities across the council areas and lead to targeted action being taken more timely and “effective decisions which should lead to better outcomes for individuals,” according to a report presented to Monmouthshire council’s cabinet.
It said working together will mean the service can work at scale and will be able to attract and retain highly skilled staff the individual councils would be unable to afford.
Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent will each transfer one member of staff when the service gets up and running, either later this year or early in 2026, but as Monmouthshire is unable to spare a staff member, without their loss stopping “core functions”, it will create and fund a new data post at a total cost, covering salary and other commitments, of £52,744.
Monmouthshire’s Labour led cabinet has agreed the £77,017 increase in expenditure for the first year of the partnership will be funded from its technology reserve and from the second year in 2026/27 the additional costs will either have to be found as a new commitment in its budget or potentially from departmental savings if they are achieved by the collaboration.
It is intended the council’s digital staff will transfer to the SRS, with their terms and conditions protected and subject to consultation with staff and trade unions, no later than April 1, 2026.
The combined salary cost for those transferring, coupled with Monmouthshire share of joint management costs, would be £370,273 over a full year which is higher than the current digital team budget of £346,000 meaning it will have to find the additional contribution of £24,273.
Further collaboration could be considered in future but as Monmouthshire’s Geographic Information Systems team, that manages its address and street databases, is presently part of a shared arrangement with Newport further work will need to be completed on where that team is based.
