PLANS to save £100m over the next ten years have been unveiled by Barnet Council as part of their plans to radically overhaul the way services are delivered.

Next week the cabinet is set to endorse the One Barnet Framework, a business plan for the model dubbed easyCouncil by former leader Mike Freer.

The framework outlines plans to spend £9m over the next three years from a “transformation fund” set up to help fund the plans.

It has been drawn up as a response to a report by auditors Grant Thornton which criticised them for failing to have an overarching business plan for the project, formerly known as Future Shape.

Some of the cash is being set aside for “specialist advice” from experts on the transformation, which will see several council services outsourced to the private sector, a move which worries trade unions and some service users.

However, Councillor Robert Rams, who is in charge of the plans, said it will bring real benefits to the residents of the borough and simplify the way services are delivered.

He told the Times Series: “It really sets out the One Barnet project in a form I think most people, if they read it, will fully understand what we're going for. It clearly sets out the savings we hope to make and how we're going to go about it.

“There are three strands, a relentless drive for efficiency, One Barnet and the new relationship with citizens.

“We're one of the first councils in the country to be doing this, so we're really ahead of the curve and setting the agenda.”

The new relationship with citizens shows the council as an “enabler”, giving residents opportunities and better services whilst asking them to “make best use of opportunities”, “do all they can to support themselves, families and community” and hold them accountable.

A drive for efficiency will mean the reshaping of the way services are delivered and making the way people engage with them simpler.

The document claims the project is not “fundamentally about budget cuts”, but points to the reduction in cash being handed over by central government.

Cllr Rams said: “We're not looking to do anything revolutionary, just look at the way we provide services.

“Another important facet for us is getting people to use the web more. It is much cheaper for us per visit than it is for customers calling us. There has been a great increase in people aged 50-65 using the web and we need to encourage that.

“This has never been about cuts to services, it's about providing better services for less money. If anyone is concerned about any project every single one has its own business case which people can inspect.”

He added: “I think many residents support us as they want low taxation, they don;t want taxes going through the roof. It's better for them to have the money in the pockets to spend how they like.

“This really sets out what One Barnet is about and it helps us as we can go forward and bring our residents with us.”

To view the full report click on the link below.