AN overhaul of environment and community services could take place to save money.

Colchester Council's scrutiny panel will look at ways to better organise the Environment and Communities services, and potentially save cash.

A review of several services under the theme of Environment and Communities started in January.

The services include community safety, Lion Walk Activity Centre, dog warden service, public health, licensing, and food safety among others.

These services have total gross revenue, or sales, budgets of £2.38million.

In a list of proposed solutions, it has been suggested income could be increased from a range of services.

They include-

- Re-inspection of food businesses, which will ensure businesses pay for the non-statutory service of an early re-scoring inspection for their 'score on the door'. It could generate an annual income of £15,000

- Increase commercial pest control contracts, which could make £5,300 a year

- Pavement cafe licensing, regulating tables and chairs placed on a highway through a licensing scheme, which could make £3,750 a year

- Ensuring businesses pay for licensing advice, which could make £6,500 a year

- Providing additional regulatory advice to food businesses prior to start up, which could make £9,000 a year

There could also be changes to improve the organisational structure of the services.

A report which will be seen by the scrutiny panel says: "It is proposed that a new management structure is created.

"This will bring together the services that deal with community safety and the night time economy under the same group manager.

"This will also result in overall number of group managers being reduced by one, creating an estimated annual saving of £65,000.

"It is also proposed these services and those that play a key role in improving health and wellbeing are moved under the leadership of the assistant

director for communities.

"Zones would be moved under the leadership of the assistant director for environment.

"No other changes would be made to zones. This will balance leadership responsibilities across the assistant directors and allow better coordination and collaboration between zones and waste."

No service reductions are being proposed.