More than 100 jobs at Swindon Borough Council could go

More than 100 jobs could go at Swindon Borough Council through restructuring as part of a savings drive.

In its draft budget for 2012/13 which has just been published, the Conservative-run council has proposed savings of £14m.

It says this is due to extra costs totalling £12m for services such as social care and landfill tax.

Certain positions have been identified for "efficiency savings" and it is consulting those staff concerned.

'Work differently'

Council leader Roderick Bluh said: "The big problem is the rising demand for our services. We really do have to get our heads round to how we're going to work differently to meet these challenges.

"Clearly no job losses are good, and certainly not good for the people who are going to be affected. In terms of the numbers, they are relatively modest compared to the size of the workforce."

The council has yet to say which areas within the organisation will lose staff, but it has confirmed that trade unions are being consulted.

In terms of the impact on the public, it said council tax in the borough would remain unchanged but a review of leisure facility prices would be carried out.

The draft budget will be debated in a council cabinet meeting next week.

In response, the Swindon Labour Group Leader, Councillor Jim Grant, said: "There are some suggested cuts that we are initially very worried about and we will be speaking to council officers about the frontline service impact these cuts will have."