HAMPSHIRE Cultural Trust is taking measures in a bid to minimise the impact of job loses, leaked documents have shown.

The documents, which follow consultations over job loses with staff at the trust, show that bosses will reorganise the structure in a bid to keep historically and culturally impact artifacts conserved at the same level.

As previously reported, experts have been demanding reassurances that the vital artifacts will be protected after the job loses due to a reduction in grants.

Hampshire Cultural Trust (HCT), which was set up as an independent charity in 2014 to take over the running of Hampshire County Council and Winchester City Council assets, runs museums around the county including Winchester City Museum, Westgate Museum and Forest Arts Centre.

According to the leaked documents, staff raised concerns about the impact of the changes including that reducing the number of skilled conservators "could be a false economy if HCT has to commission freelancers to fill gaps".

In response, the trust said it would increase the headcount in the conservation team one full-time employee (FTE) "in order to retain appropriate skills. The conservation roles automatically slot into the revised structure".

There were also plans to reduce the number of 'cultural engagement coordinators' would may have had a "significant impact on [the] ability of Forest Arts and West End centre to deliver current community programmes". Following the feedback the trust scrapped the planned reduction, with other way of saving money to be investigated.

A trust spokeswoman confirmed voluntary redundancy has been arranged for 9.5FTEs, but 12 position were set to be lost. The spokeswoman added that the possible compulsory redundancy of 2.5FTEs had not been confirmed, and fewer position may actually be lost.

It is not known how staff responded to the measures, although a number of groups have expressed concerns, including Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, and British archaeological trust Rescue.