Trafford Council confirm two-year budget - 171 jobs to be axed (From Messenger Newspapers)

Trafford Council confirm two-year budget - 171 jobs to be axed

12:00pm Thursday 14th February 2013 in News By Kate Banks, Reporter

HARD-up Trafford Council has confirmed 171 jobs are to be lost between 2013 and 2015 as part of its two-year budget.

However, the number of losses has reduced by more than 20 since the draft savings plan was announced in October last year – all of which have been saved from front line services.

The Conservative-led council plans to make the job cuts, along with cuts to services such as children’s centres, library staff, meals on wheels and council staff sick pay allowances, in order to save £34million over two years.

David Acton, leader of Trafford Labour Group, has labeled the level of cuts proposed as ‘savage’.

Leader of the council, Matt Colledge, said the revised budget – which if approved by full council, will be set on February 20 – has been amended following a 90 day consultation with staff and the public.

However, specific decisions on proposals such as the merger of Trafford’s 16 children’s centres into six community hubs and the phasing out of full time library staff, will not be decided upon until March 4, by the council executive.

Cllr Acton said: “Losing front line services like this is affecting seriously the fabric of our communities and affecting the whole of our national economy.”

Executive member for finance, Cllr Sean Anstee, said separate consultation had been carried out on these two issues as they are of particular importance to the public.

He said: “We try to make sure that the responses we got back – we do listen to them and we listen to what our staff have to say.”

Eighteen separate public consultations were carried out, which received 3119 responses, 25 staff consultations were carried out, 11 of which were revised subsequently.

Trafford’s ruling Conservative group announced last month that council tax was to remain frozen and will absorbing the cost of Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority increasing it’s levy by 14.2 per cent.