A Burntwood councillor says a meeting on plans for a £2billion part-privatisation of education support services in Staffordshire has done nothing to ease his fears on the proposal.
Staffordshire County Council has unveiled the plan to transfer 5,000 jobs in areas such as grounds maintenance and catering to a profit-making private company.
However, Lichfield District Council Labour opposition group leader Cllr Steve Norman has criticised the deal – and believes that a public meeting on the subject failed to address his concerns.
“I was very concerned to learn that the County Council’s interest in the proposed new Joint Venture Company may even be less than 30 per cent,” he said. “Even at the maximum level of 49 per cent that is being negotiated at present, it is clear that the local authority will no longer have the level of control and accountability over these vital services that we currently have.”
If the plans go ahead, Staffordshire County Council will choose their preferred bidder in December and sign a ten year contract in March.
