Richmond and Wandsworth councils have announced the format of their single senior management structure in the first step towards moving to a shared staffing arrangement.

The proposals, which will be discussed at meetings of both councils this month, are expected to save £1.5m-a-year and reduce the number of senior staff members by 30 per cent.

The councils will be headed up by a single chief executive, Paul Martin from Wandsworth Council, following the retirement of Richmond’s current chief executive Gillian Norton in September 2016.

Mr Martin, who will be paid between £210,000 and £245,000, will be supported by a director of resources and deputy chief executive, director of environment and community services, director of housing and regeneration and a director of education and social services.

The four director posts will pay between £140,000 to £175,000 and the third tier of management, assistant directors, will have 17 positions paying between £80,000 to £130,000.

Lord True, leader of Richmond Council, reiterated the main reason to create the shared staffing structure was to "save back office costs" rather than hit frontline services.

He added: "We reached an agreement across the two boroughs and senior staff will work half and half.

"Because we are a smaller borough, we will get about 36 per cent of the savings and Wandsworth will get about two-thirds [of the savings].

"I have never hidden from anybody that times continue to be difficult and we will have to look at doing things efficiently."

Councillor Geoffrey Samuel said while the two councils would share back office staff and senior management, each council would "retain its individuality and importance".

The councils will adopt a sovereignty guarantee, which will include:

- Both councils will continue to set their own council tax and publish their own budgets and accounts

- Residents will continue to elect their own councillors to each council - Neither council will break an existing contract

- The boundaries for which each council is responsible will not change Lord True said the agreement between the two councils was not a merger.

He added: "It is not going to be Richworth or Wandsmond. Two very successful councils with high public respect are coming together to make savings and we think we can learn from each other.

"This is going ahead. This is a commitment by both authorities which will formally go through both of the councils.

"This is a process in terms of management. We have to make £20m of further reductions and I am not in the business of saying everything is safe. What is a safe bet is we will do our best to keep the best staff and maintain services for residents."

Councillor Samuel added: "The choice is as stark as this. It is this or cuts to real frontline services."

The leader of Richmond Council said there would be no changes to Achieving for Children, the children’s services social enterprise shared with Kingston Council, and said while no discussions had taken place, he would be happy to welcome Wandsworth into the arrangement.

The new structure, which will become operational in phases, is expected to be fully implemented following the retirements of Ms Norton in September 2016 and Chris Buss, Wandsworth’s deputy chief executive and director of finance, in March 2017.