Jobs could go in push for savings (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Jobs could go in push for savings

12:30pm Tuesday 9th February 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(3)

MORE jobs could go as Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council prepares to find £1.8million in savings a year until 2014.

Council officers have prepared a strategy to cut costs by four per cent and have laid the plan of action out in a paper prepared for councillors to consider tomorrow.

In the paper, corporate director Dorcas Bunton states: “The time is now right to start to consider the longer term arrangements for delivering council services and to plan ways of delivering services to residents in line with our aspirations as a council.

“We need to be proactive in seeking innovative solutions to ensure that we are doing what is right for the council and its taxpayers, and not just reacting to budget constraints and external pressure.”

This latest attempt to cut costs follows a “fit-for-purpose review”, which was criticised last summer by former council leader Councillor John Leek for failing to significantly reduce the number of council staff, despite £2.3million being spent on 26 early retirements and redundancies.

The new “efficiencies and saving strategy” makes no direct mention of specific job cuts, but appears to accept they are likely.

Ms Bunton’s report states: “Some costs may have to be incurred, either through losing posts from a service area or, for example, investing in ICT that would enable the more efficient delivery of a service.”

It adds: “Though we will endeavour to ensure that impact on staff is kept to a minimum through reskilling and redeployment, if necessary, costs due to redundancy that cannot be avoided will be met through the reorganisation and pension reserve.”

As previously reported in The Gazette, the council is considering sharing its offices with Hampshire County Council staff based in Basingstoke to cut costs.

Ms Bunton’s report also suggests the new strategy explores the possibility of council departments stopping non-priority activities, reviewing assets and streamlining operations, but it does not suggest cutting “core services.”

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(3)