Up to 200 jobs could as part of Cornwall Council cuts

Cornwall Council says it needed to save £58m over the next four years

Up to 200 jobs could go as part of cost-saving measures at Cornwall Council.

The authority said it hoped cuts in its 2021-22 draft budget could be made through "natural turnover" and not include compulsory redundancies.

Deputy leader Adam Paynter said £58m of savings was needed in the next four years.

He added the proposed job losses were not "taken lightly", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

About 160 people voluntarily left the council each year which would help reduce any compulsory lay-offs, Mr Paynter said.

The council also plans to increase its share of council tax by 1.99% under the proposed budget - the maximum currently allowed without having to hold a referendum.

'Point of collapse'

Acknowledging the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Paynter said: "We did receive grants from the government to help us, however we are still falling short for our budget for this year.

"We know that all councils are struggling with this and some are at the point of collapse.

"We are a resilient council and are managing our financial uncertainty better than others."

He said the council had already saved £380m over the past 10 years, but further savings were required.

This could include a greater use of technology to deliver council-led services, as well as plans to sell off council-owned buildings, Mr Paynter said.

The draft budget will go out for public consultation on 18 September, with a final decision expected in February.