Three local authorities are to consider moving forward with plans to take greater control of council services.

West Oxfordshire District Council, Cotswold District Council and Forest of Dean District Council are overseeing proposals to return 270 employees to direct council employment by the end of the year.

Thus, they will be moved from Publica Group Ltd, a company jointly owned by all three councils.

Publica was established in 2017 and has since provided a variety of council services, including customer services, planning, IT, and finance.

In light of considerable political changes in councils, varying council priorities, and the evolving landscape of local government, an independent review was conducted six years after Publica's inception.

This review gave rise to two independent reports recommending that a significant number of "locally focused services", such as planning, economic development, and community support, be directly delivered by councils to better align with individual areas.

This proposed change means that Publica would deliver a smaller service range such as IT, customer services, and benefits payments.

The councils are poised to deliberate these outlined proposals in July, marking it as the first phase of potential employee transfers.

A second phase, which would likely happen in early 2025, follows this initial stage.

If the proposals are approved, employees will be consulted in September with a planned transfer in November.

The 'TUPE transfer' will affect the majority of the moved employees, ensuring a direct job transfer with protections to salaries and other employment benefits.

Council leaders, in a shared statement, said: "Every partnership must evolve to meet new challenges and now is the ideal time to make sure that as individual councils we are fit for the future.

"Moving services into direct council control will give us more choice and options on how we can find the most cost-effective way to maintain and improve council services that people rely on.

"While this may mean a change for some staff, the vast majority will see their jobs transferred back to being under council employment.

"We will work hard to support staff through the transition."