West Berkshire Council will make around 55 compulsory redundancies, councillors heard at a meeting on Thursday. The exercise could cost as much as £1.7m.
The council says 37 of the roughly 55 posts have been vacant for some time. It also pointed out that around 13 per cent of staff leave each year, roughly translating to 160 resignations.
“Making redundancies always has an impact and bear a cost but are a financial saving of around £400,000 a year,” said Iain Cottingham (Lib Dem, Thatcham Central), who heads the finance portfolio.
Concerns over service levels were raised. “Will services to children and young people deteriorate in any way?” asked Dominic Boeck (Con, Aldermaston). Heather Codling (Lib Dem, Chieveley and Cold Ash), portfolio holder for children and young people, replied: “We are having to cut our cloth according to what we have got,” she said. “I am assured after meetings with officers it will be ok.”
Heading the charge into a specially called meeting to follow the redundancy payment vote, Green leader David Marsh said: “ … it will take between two and four years to recoup the cost [£1.7m] of this by which time we will have merged with other councils or is this about the council looking tough so the Government gives it more money?”
Council leader Jeff Brooks (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) had the final word: “The financial pressures we face are huge – this is way beyond anything you in the oppositions ever faced. “We have very tough decisions to make.” He assured the meeting that unions would be involved should further redundancies be tabled, not ruling out that possibility.
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
