Council cuts 555 staff to help plug £66m deficit

Somerset Council has voted to cut 555 jobs in a bid to plug a £66m budget gap.

There are no plans to stop services but the council said it would “prioritise resources” for the “things that matter most”.

The redundancies are part of measures to reduce the deficit in the next financial year and were approved at a full council meeting on Wednesday.

Cutting 555 full-time posts equates to an 11% reduction in its workforce.

Somerset Council, which was created when five district councils were merged in April 2023, is undergoing a major restructure.

The 555 job losses includes 171 posts that were cut last year as part of a voluntary redundancy scheme, and around 30 roles that have been devolved to town and parish councils.

The exact number of compulsory redundancies will not be known until the council restructuring is completed at the end of March.

Somerset Council also said some posts were currently vacant and many staff were expected to apply for these roles.

The changes will make savings of £34m, which includes cuts of £1.5m to the senior leadership team, according to a council report.

The report said that the restructuring will deliver “a radically different way of working as a council, operating with fewer staff, whilst increasing our influence and impact”.

It added that the changes will “provide the foundations for achieving long term financial sustainability and delivering positive change and better outcomes for the people, place and communities of Somerset”.

Neil Guild, from the Somerset branch of the Unison union, said: “It’s a sad day at Somerset Council.

“A lot of staff are facing uncertainty and job cuts.

“It also means a reduction in services to the public and that will have consequences.”

Somerset Council leader Bill Revans previously described the cuts as “difficult and heartbreaking”.