North Somerset Council agrees £18.6m budget cuts

Cuts to the coming year's budget in North Somerset have been agreed by the council.

Councillors said savings of £18.6m over 2011/12 would need to be made from its gross annual budget of £422m.

The Conservative-run authority said the savings would also allow for a council tax freeze for the next financial year.

It said about 140 full-time equivalent posts would go during 2011/12 with about 50 staff at risk of redundancy due to the outsourcing of services.

The council employs 2,103 non-school staff and the 140 posts affected do not include those employed in the area's schools. Overall the council employs 6,785 including school staff.

The council said it had to save £47.3m over the next four years, which includes the £18.6m agreed at the budget meeting on Tuesday.

The council said the £18.6m cut represented a saving of 13% from its net spending on services, which is £140m for 2011/12.

It said all the council's services would be affected.