Highland Council staff offered redundancy deals

Most Highland Council staff have been asked to consider voluntary redundancy or working fewer hours

Almost all of Highland Council's staff have been asked if they want to take voluntary redundancy or work less hours to help the local authority save money.

Chief executive Steve Barron has contacted employees with the offer following the announcement of the Scottish government's budget.

Highland has estimated that it will have £36.5m less to spend next year.

The offers have not been made to council employees delivering NHS-commissioned services.

Mr Barron also said not everyone who applied would have their application approved and there might be "limited scope" to reduce certain posts, such as teachers and HGV drivers.

Highland Council warned last month that it expected to have to save more money in 2016-17 than it had previously thought.

The warning followed the UK government Autumn Statement and calculating its effect on the Scottish government's budget.

Budget leader Bill Fernie described the savings local authorities were having to make as the hardest since World War Two.