Stoke-on-Trent City Council plans to cut 710 jobs

Stoke-on-Trent City Council plans to cut more than 700 jobs as it faces making potential savings of £33m.

It had planned for £25m cuts from its 2011/12 budget, but now thinks it could be £33m. Councils are still waiting for final details of the Spending Review.

A spokesman said the cuts were not fair but responsibility for the reductions fell "squarely on the government".

Consultation with staff has started and compulsory redundancies have not been ruled out, he added.

'Much deeper'

The departments affected include: 240 jobs in children and young people's services, 160 in adult social care, health and communities, 100 jobs going with housing, environmental and neighbourhoods, 30 in the chief executive's department, 110 with central services and 70 posts lost in regeneration.

Councillor Mohammed Pervez, leader of the Labour-led coalition council, said the authority was waiting on clarification from the government about some grants.

"We've been preparing ourselves for these cuts for months in anticipation of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) in October.

"The reality I presented today is that they are much, much deeper cuts than we had expected.

"After the CSR announcement we are still left with a number of uncertainties around the Building Schools for the Future Programme, the Area Based Grant and other funding streams.

"Despite these significant uncertainties we must proceed in order to ensure we deliver an agreed legal budget by February 2011."