Top jobs to go in council shake-up (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Top jobs to go in council shake-up

TOP jobs are to go at Cotswold District Council as part of a major cost-cutting shake-up.

Chief Executive Bob Austin and his fellow directors have been looking at ways of making the cash-strapped authority more efficient.

And, under restructuring, the council's 17 current heads of service will be invited to apply for just six new positions.

In addition, one of the authority's two corporate directors will be made redundant, while some former heads of service that remain may be forced to take a demotion.

The move, which Mr Austin says will save the council £0.5 million, has been partly driven by the plans of the council's controlling Tory Group, which aims to get rid of more than a 10th of the workforce over five years.

UNISON, the trade union which represents local government workers, was informed of the move last Thursday and staff were briefed on Friday and Monday.

CDC's UNISON branch chairman Ged Cassell said: "UNISON accepts that the council needs to adapt to changing circumstances.

"Our role is to minimise the negative effects of these changes on our members.

"We are always happy to work constructively with the council and feel the best way to achieve this is to be consulted at an early stage. Unfortunately, this did not happen on this occasion."

Under the current structure, the 17 heads of service are in charge of everything from housing strategy to museum services.

But, some of the departments will be merged to form just six sections: corporate planning, community services, environmental services, development, support services and customer services.

The council will also get rid of its two corporate director posts and replace them with one deputy chief executive.

Mr Austin says the £500,000 saved will go a long way towards the aim of saving a total of £1.2 million over the next five years.

But he says services will not suffer and council workers will not be lumbered with greater workloads.

He said: "I doubt there's any organisation that's as efficient as it could be. You can always find ways of doing things better.

"The council, since last year, has been very clear about what it wants to achieve. It will be more effective because it's going to be more focused around our main priorities.

"More and more people are conducting council business through the internet and customer expectations are higher now.

"When I first came here we had a chief executive, five directors and any number of service managers.

"You don't always need as many managers and leaders if people are working together more.

"People will perhaps now get the opportunity to do things they haven't done before."

UNISON plans to hold further talks with Mr Austin.

The issue will be discussed by councillors next month and, if approved, the new structure will come into force from April 1.