PLANS to cut the cost of rubbish collection in Mid Devon could lead to an excessive strain on staff, officials have been warned.

Proposals to share a manager with North Devon District Council could be adopted as early as next month. Under the plan, the current waste services manager of Mid Devon, Gary Pilling, would be responsible for staff and depots in both Barnstaple and Tiverton.

Executive members of Mid Devon District Council backed the scheme at a Phoenix House meeting last week, saying "significant" savings will be achieved if one salary and expenses are shared by two authorities.

North Devon District Council is to discuss the proposal this week.

Although it is too early to say what the savings will be, the councils say there will be no redundancies or impact on domestic collections.

But Liberal Democrat Cllr Kevin Wilson accused portfolio holders of assuming it will all be "hunky-dory".

He believes the model of sharing services could lead to an increased workload, prompting staff to demand wage increases — eating away at potential savings.

Cllr Wilson added: "I have reservations about this saving money, but what are we going to do if things don't go to plan and we have to bring other people in to cover?

"We have had senior officers over-stressed through overwork, so how much do we put on one officer before something goes pear- shaped?

"We can't rely on one person to be available 24/7 forever — you are assuming everything will be hunkydory," he added.

But authority leader Cllr Peter Hare-Scott said the scheme was a "tremendous opportunity" for both councils to save taxpayers' money following the retirement of the North Devon waste services manager.

A single manager for both waste teams would be run for an initial period of 12 months but a longer term could be agreed if successful.

Gerald Hirsch, chief executive for Mid Devon District Council, said: "We are not just motivated by savings but also to improve services. There has been no formal commitment that will stop us getting out of it if we feel it is not going as intended or benefiting residents."

Further savings could also be made elsewhere in regards to the crews and fleet and the council hopes to increase 'joined-up working' with authorities in other departments.

Andrew Lacey, spokesperson for Mid Devon District Council, said: "We are not proposing redundancies or staff cuts. We are exploring all possibilities. It is too early to give a figure on savings, but we are sure they will be significant."