Member Article

100 jobs to go as cuts continue to disrupt Redcar and Cleveland Council

Facing £25.6m worth of budget cuts, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council has confirmed that its workforce will be reduced by up to 100 staff members over the next three years.

The Council today approved proposals to balance a major £8m Growth Strategy with the cuts, whilst compulsory redundancies are expected to be kept to a minimum.

The budget strategy, known as Shaping Our Future 3 (SOF3), also focuses on growth and protecting both the most vulnerable people in society and frontline services including libraries and bin collections.

The council will focus on promoting the area as a prime tourism destination and will set aside £250,000 to attract and promote events like the Festival of Thrift and the Tour de Yorkshire.

The annual budget from April 2017 to March 2018, including the new Council Tax and Adult Social Care precept, will be set by full council in February.

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council has already made £67 million of cuts since 2010 due to the reduction in Government grant money.

Sue Jeffrey, Leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, explained: “This was an extremely difficult decision for everyone at Cabinet. None of us came into public service to make cuts. However we are dealing with severe Government grant reductions.

“Our plan is still ambitious for our area. We have an £8m strategy to invest in our towns and communities to encourage job creation.

“And we are determined to protect the most vulnerable in our society while also continuing to provide first rate frontline services including bin collections and libraries.”

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