Somerset Council could cut more than 1,000 jobs to save cash

Somerset Council declared a financial emergency in November 2023 and is now proposing major cuts to its services

More than 1,000 jobs could go at Somerset Council as the local authority seeks to take drastic action on its finances.

Council papers, to be approved next week, say this would partly be achieved through a voluntary redundancy scheme.

Liberal Democrat leader of Somerset Council Bill Revans said: "This is not a position any of us want to be in."

Neil Guild from the Somerset branch of Unison said: "This is worrying news for staff."

The council has had to deal with below average funding settlements from government, and rising social care costs.

Mr Revans said: "We have a £100m black hole in our funding and this is part of our plan to close that".

Council papers to the ruling executive show by reducing the workforce by either a fifth or a quarter over the next three years could save around £40m.

Council leader Bill Revans said the council transformation scheme will make it leaner and more sustainable

Mr Revans added: "These are heart-breaking and unpalatable decisions, but transformation on this scale is necessary.

"We're in a situation not of our choosing or our making, but it is our responsibility to create a sustainable council."

If the council does not balance its books, it may have to effectively declare bankruptcy.

Mr Revans said: "Of course we value our staff, but we have to make very tough choices."

Neil Guild from the Somerset branch of Unison said: "Our members are concerned for their livelihoods, mortgages and their families.

"We've had over a decade of cuts to council services but these feel like a different order of seriousness."

Mr Guild is calling on the government for more funding.

"We are already at a point where services are at minimum levels and we're in really difficult territory, so we have to have a conversation about the level of services people can expect from their local council, because the reality is we're going to be doing less and potentially people are going to be paying more for it," he added.

Protestors outside a meeting of Somerset Council in January protesting over plans to pull funding for Yeovil Recreation Centre

A small number of jobs are exempt from the cuts, mainly roles where the council has a statutory obligation to provide services.

These include school employees, social workers and health visitors.

Compulsory redundancies cannot be ruled out, as some council services have been earmarked to either stop or be reduced.

Town and parish councils are now looking at whether they can fund things like CCTV, park maintenance and public toilets instead.

Somerset Council says compulsory redundancies will be kept to a minimum by removing vacant posts and reducing the number of contractors and agency workers.

Voluntary redundancy decisions could be made as early as April.