Hundreds of council job losses due to additional budget cuts
- 10 Oct
Extensive council job losses expected in Sheffield and Trafford as the two major Northern authorities are poised to slash their budgets by tens of millions over the next two years.
Sheffield announced today it must cut ‘into the bone' of services to make £50m from its budget next year. The massive cut from the town hall's 2013-14 budget is around £10m more than initially expected, due to ‘additional pressures such as energy bills, rising prices and increasing demand for its services' officials said.
Council officers warned job losses are expected to be in the ‘high hundreds' as every service faces cut backs, despite the authority having already shed 1,300 jobs over the past two years.
Chief executive, John Mothersole, said:
This time next year we will be cutting into the bone of services in this city. It's not a political statement, it's a logical one.
These are probably the toughest time the city has faced since 1945. The city can come through it but it will be painful and it will be different.Officials highlighted the council's ongoing savings programme including plans to freeze staff increment pay rises for a third year to try to save £5m and £50m potential savings over the life of the authority's Streets Ahead scheme - to improve and maintain the city's roads - by reorganising how it is financed to save money.
Cllr Bryan Lodge, cabinet member for finance and resources, said there was ‘very little that we can rule in or out as we put the spotlight on our spending'.
Trafford MBC is also reported to be planning to slash £33.3m from its budget over two years, putting around 100 jobs at risk.
A memo sent to staff from chief executive Theresa Grant, and seen by the Manchester Evening News, said:
Trafford is no different to other councils and over the next two years, we estimate that we will have to reduce our budget by a further £33.3m.
In trying to achieve the savings a numbers of proposals have been developed which will be subject to consultation before they are agreed. Regrettably, some of these proposals involve an impact on the workforce, which could result in a number of job losses across the council.The news follows £16m in cuts last year and around 100 job losses.
Source: Local Gov
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