More than 500 roles are to be cut at Westminster Council, as the local authority aims to make savings with a ‘leaner operation’.
Several senior-level and managerial positions will be abolished in the shake-up, with around 15 per cent of staff affected, the council has announced.
The move comes months after residents were told a £160 million shortfall would have to be plugged in the next three years, as the Government chooses to siphon more funds to local authorities outside of the capital.
A total of 520 positions are to be cut out of a total workforce of 3,720, saving £29 million, with the council planning to save a further £16 million through an overhaul of its renting and leasehold agreements.
The local authority has also pre-warned of a rise in council tax in the next budget, current one of the lowest nationally.
Staff were told of the forthcoming redundancies by the council’s chief executive, Stuart Love, at a meeting at city hall today and are expected to leave axed roles between April and December next year.
Councillor Paul Fisher, the cabinet member for value for money and finance, said: ‘While today’s announcement on job cuts is difficult, we believe setting the right course now will pay dividends in the years ahead.
‘The focus for these reductions is on management roles and not front-line posts. Westminster needs to protect taxpayer money, become leaner and look to more commercial opportunities to generate revenue.
Cllr Fisher added than an increased adoption of technology including AI would allow the council to become more efficient while continuing to provide the services which residents require.
‘There are inevitably going to be further significant savings ahead, but today’s restructure announcement is an important step in ensuring we have the right kind of organisation to serve our communities’, he said.