CONTROVERSIAL plans for two councils to share one boss have been backed by the Government - with £400,000 handed over to make it happen.

Proposals for Malvern Hills District Council to share its chief executive with neighbouring Wychavon are now on the verge of going ahead after the six-figure sum was handed down.

The cash, from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), comes after months of bickering from councillors about the idea.

Both councils believe they can save cash by having one chief executive sharing both workloads.

The fund is being handed to Malvern Hills District Council to meet any costs resulting from the shake-up of its top brass.

At Malvern Chris Bocock holds the chief executive role and is paid between £100,000 and £104,999, while Wychavon’s chief executive Jack Hegarty gets between £101,611 and £107,004.

More talks are now planned on both sides to work towards a final decision, with the move expected to save around £60,000 a year.

In recent weeks politicians have clashed furiously over the idea, amid claims sharing a boss is a step down the road to a fully-blown merger.

During one full council meeting in Malvern opposition politicians walked out the chamber rather than debate it.

Both authorities insist their separate identities will remain intact even after the chief executive role is shared.

Councillor David Hughes, the leader in Malvern, said: "We’re delighted this money has been awarded.

"It's a clear endorsement from DCLG of the work the two councils have undertaken and will result in significant efficiencies that we can now achieve on behalf of our electorate."

Councillor Paul Middlebrough, leader of Wychavon District Council, said: "We’re very pleased the Government - it will make the process moving forward much smoother and be better for the taxpayer locally."

The £400,000 handout is part of £1.4 million DCLG is giving town halls across the West Midlands region for money-saving initiatives.

Other projects include mergers of IT systems, back office functions and buildings.