An independent report has outlined the financial benefits and savings generated by the ongoing collaboration between Guildford Borough Council and Waverley Borough Council.

The report, authored by Local Partnerships and published by Guildford Borough Council, found that the partnership had already saved £603,000 since it was started in 2022.

This comes despite the future of local governance remaining uncertain, as Government plans for devolution could include the abolition of Surrey’s 11 boroughs and districts, as well as the county council, potentially replacing them with one or two unitary authorities.

The ‘Analysis of Collaboration Benefits’ report concluded that the joint management approach introduced in 2022, which included a shared Chief Executive and a Joint Leadership Team (JLT), had the potential for further savings and efficiencies in the future.

The analysis compared the actual cost of the JLT with that of the previous, independent management structures, factoring in cost increases.

These savings demonstrate that the partnership, despite one-off costs, has already provided more financial value than it has cost. Importantly, the savings are ongoing, while the costs are one-off, meaning that savings will continue to grow as the partnership evolves. There is potential for even greater savings as collaboration deepens in the future, the report finds.

Cllr Paul Follows, leader of Waverley Borough Council, said: “The findings of this report confirm the value of collaboration between our councils. Our joint working has allowed us to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and maintain the standards of our services.

“With this strong foundation, we are in a fantastic position to explore further opportunities for collaboration that will generate additional savings and benefits for both councils and the communities we serve.

“It’s great to have independent verification that the decisions we have made are delivering benefits for taxpayers and residents. Being able to demonstrate a strong and successful partnership will also enable Guildford and Waverley to make a compelling case for taking a central role in any future unitary council covering our area.”

Cllr Julia McShane, deader of Guildford Borough Council, said:“This report highlights the significant financial savings and operational improvements already achieved through our collaboration with Waverley Borough Council.

“The creation of the Joint Leadership Team in 2022 has proven to be a wise investment, and we are excited about the potential to build on these results to drive further savings. As we continue to work together, our priority is to ensure that the services we provide to residents remain efficient and of the highest quality.”

The report also notes that, despite increases in expenditure driven by inflation, the overall cost base of both councils at the end of the 2023/24 financial year was lower than it would have been had no changes been made since 2020/21. This demonstrates that the councils have managed to contain costs despite external financial pressures.

The savings are particularly evident in staffing costs, where the increase in employee expenses has been among the lowest when compared to other local authorities. Importantly, the report found no evidence of a reduction in service performance, with key performance indicators remaining on track. This suggests that the savings have not come at the expense of service quality.

The report also recommended the two councils adopt a more strategic approach to identify new areas where service sharing could yield even greater financial benefits.

Cllr McShane said: “We have seen strong results so far, and now we face an important decision about whether to build on this momentum and deepen our collaboration. We are committed to continuing this journey, but only in ways that are strategically sound and backed by robust business cases that clearly demonstrate the benefits.”

Despite the uncertainty of their futures, the councils are considering a range of options for further shared services.