THREE senior managers at Malvern Hills District Council and Wychavon District Council are set to lose their jobs as part of a managerial shake up aimed to save both authories almost £300,000.
The two councils are looking to create a joint management structure and plan to cut the number of senior managers at both councils from nine to six – a plan which would save them £140,000 a year and a total of 280,000.
In a statement, the councils said they hoped to make changes through voluntary redudancies which would cost an estimated £220,000 and be funded from a government grant.
Both councils have stressed the changes will have no impact on the day-to-day delivery of services to residents and would remain independent organisations.
Councillors will vote on the proposals at a full council meetings at both councils next week. If approved, the proposal could take between 12 and 18 months to implement.
The plan has been put forward by chief executive Jack Hegarty as part of the two councils’ response to cuts to their Government funding.
Their main Government grant has fallen by 53 per cent since 2010/11 and Chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce further cuts in his Autumn Statement on November 25.
In a report to councillors, Mr Hegarty said: “I am proposing that the existing combined senior management of nine posts is reduced to six.
“Looking at the business needs of both organisations over the medium term, there is a strong case for consolidating the senior management resource thus reducing costs, avoiding duplication and allowing effective deployment of the resource to serve the needs of both councils.”
Coun Phil Grove, leader of Malvern Hills District Council, said: “Despite facing severe cuts to our funding, we’ve made a commitment to protect front line services as much as we possibly can.
“That requires us to look at measures such as this.
“The important thing is we remain separate organisations and it will continue to be Malvern Hills councillors setting the priorities and making the decisions.”
But Tom Wells, district councillor for the Liberal Democrats, said he was concerned the redundancy payoff for the councillors was too high.
“Broadly I welcome the initiaive to cut the number of senior managers,” he said. “I think the number in Malvern Hills has been top heavy with senior managers.
“However I am very concerned that we are going to see over generous redundancy packages awarded at a time when the council is cutting key facilities.”
Julian Roskams, district councillor and leader of the Democratic Party, added: “It has to be a concern when jobs are being cut. These cuts have been happening for several years now and you have to say at some stage enough is enough.”
