Council meets tonight to decide its budget for next year

The cash strapped council needs to make savings of around £11 million in 2016/17.

Top directors are likely to face the axe and the council is believed to be cutting its number of leading officials by 40 per cent and senior managers by two thirds as part of its efforts to make multi-million pound savings.

Gerry Cornes, Chief Executive said: “The council papers contain a number of budget reduction proposals which include reducing the number of directors at the council from five to three and regrouping our service

areas into 11 functional groupings, reducing the third tier management team.

“The report emphasises that should the proposal be accepted, appropriate leadership and line management of services within those functional groupings will be ensured.

“All of the proposals in the council papers will be considered on March 17 and council will determine at that meeting how it will achieve the substantial savings required for the coming financial year.”