Shutdown will save £77,000

SERVICES run by Oldham Council will be scaled down over the festive period in a move that will save £77,000.

Out-of-hours services will stay open for urgent situations such as council house repairs, social care and other emergencies.

The services affected and details of emergency contact telephone numbers are listed on the council’s website at www.oldham.gov.uk and in local press.

Council staff are required to take three days out of their annual leave entitlement on December 29-31 to enable the closure to take place.

Councillor Lynne Thompson, cabinet member for finance and resources, said: “This is the second year we have operated the Christmas closure.

“The feedback from last year was that our staff appreciated having the extra time to spend with their families, so this is part of our commitment to being a good employer but it also makes sound economic sense for the council-tax payers.

“The public should be relatively unaffected by this as it is traditionally a very quiet time for the core services we provide.

“I want to stress that no staff are being given extra leave. All employees have been aware since the start of this year that they must take three days’ leave from their normal annual entitlement for this purpose.”

Based on current estimates, the Christmas closure will amount to savings of around £77,000 over the three days.

This is based on efficiencies from closing down buildings plus savings on agency staff costs.

Councillor Thompson added: “I’d like to assure the public that this year’s closure has been planned in thorough detail to ensure that if and when emergencies occur we have the staff and resources able to cope and provide assistance.

“It is important now that people familiarise themselves with these arrangements. They should be aware that many of our usual services will be shut, and that they should only contact us in a genuine emergency situation.”