Torfaen Council is looking to buy-in services from Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council due to three members of staff leaving a team.

The trio were part of the in-house consultancy design team and have left for new roles in the private sector. They are leaving (or have already left) the Property Construction Group meaning a gap in skills needed to work on several ‘current live projects and future projects’ including:

• Expansion of Crownbridge Special School, Cwmbran – A report says ‘Project Management and Supervisor roles will be required in the construction phase’.
• Remodelling of Ysgol Gymraeg, Cwmbran- A report say ‘this scheme is nearing the end of the feasibility phase. Project Management and Supervisor roles will be required during the design and construction phase.’

A report recommends that the council uses staff at Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council  ‘to carry out the roles of Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor and Supervisor for current live projects and future projects until such time the Authority is able to recruit these posts’.

The report says that the property team at Blaenau Gwent has the ‘qualifications and competence’ to fill the gap in Torfaen. If agreed Torfaen will pay £47 an hour and this will be ‘met by project budgets’. The report says that the hourly rates in the private sector would be over £70 an hour.

A report will be presented to Cllr Anthony Hunt, leader of Torfaen Council to make a decision on Monday 26 September 2022.