Council to axe jobs to save money

Some 108 jobs could go at North East Lincolnshire Council over the next two years, through a mixture of compulsory and voluntary redundancy and shedding vacant posts.

The council has already lost around 300 jobs in three years and now employs around 2,000 staff.

Chief executive Rob Walsh told councillors in a report setting out a two-year budget that the proposals “will have a profound impact on our borough, its people and businesses”.

The council is planning to increase council tax by 1.98 per cent - just under the maximum which would trigger a referendum for the next four years and halve its reserves to £20m by 2018/19 to help balance the books.

Council leader Chris Shaw said: “Councils continue to face unprecedented budget cuts due to austerity measures

“Local Government is operating in tough and challenging times and we’re already in the midst of a budget process that will only succeed if some very difficult decisions are made by us all in North East Lincolnshire.”

A final decision will be made at a budget-setting meeting at the end of next month.