Council axes jobs to meet cuts

Over the next financial year 162 posts face the axe at North East Lincolnshire Council, with another 66 to go in 2015/2016.

Council taxpayers also face a 1.9 per cent rise in bills - the first increase in four years.

Council leader Chris Shaw said an “unjust” settlement from central Government had forced them to find £18m savings on top of what was already expected.

He hoped the majority of job losses could be made through voluntary redudnancy and not filling vacant posts.

He said: “Local government didn’t create this financial mess, but we’re being left to sort it out. We’ve already made huge savings, including £12m last year alone, but the axe continues to fall our way despite the government asking much more of local councils on issues such as health delivery without providing the previous level of funding.

“If Westminster was as efficient as local government we wouldn’t have as many financial problems as we do now.”