THE AXE has fallen at Winsford-based Vale Royal Borough Council, slashing almost 60 jobs to save £800,000 a year.

Two directors and a team of senior officers are out in what has become the biggest restructuring programme to hit the council since its formation 24 years ago.

The number of the council's directorates has been cut from six to four in a move which will save almost 10 per cent of the council's £10m annual budget.

This sees the creation of a new Community Services Directorate and all of the council's support services brought together under one umbrella.

The changes are the final stage of a restructuring programme which began in 1991, keeping the council "one step ahead" of increasing Government cuts of £300,000 - £400,000 per year.

Vale Royal chief executive, Bill Woods, said: "There are significantly fewer chiefs in relation to the number of indians. A large proportion of the budget goes on people. Most of the reductions are in senior staff and there has been an increase in more efficient ways of working.

"This reflects very well on the staff who have been able to make the changes."

John Page, the new director of Corporate Services, admitted the council needed to update and modernise.

He said: "We have had to do something. The council needed looking at. And £800,000 is a lot of money. It works out at an average of £14,000 to £15,000 per post."

But Mr Page admitted there will not be an extra £800,000 per year for the council to spend.

"The money will be swallowed into cutbacks, in overall financial terms."

He added: "But we have not had to cut back services and we have not reduced standards. We are seeing new ways of doing things, we have better and bigger prospects and it's costing the council less money. As the American's might say, people will be getting more bang per buck."

Council bosses have pledged the streamlining will make it much more efficient and they have promised its employees will be able to work with the community much more closely.

Workers within the new Community Services Directorate will liaise more closely with tenant participation groups.

It also brings together

employees who are working on big environmental projects such as Agenda 21 and the Mersey Forest scheme.

The new structure will also enable the council to draw in funding from "non-traditional" sources such as the National Lottery and European money.

Mr Woods revealed that more and more pressure is put on councils to save money by the Government, which has been reducing its grant to them year on year.

Mr Woods said that Vale Royal seems to get more than its fair share of reductions because the Government doesn't see it as an area of dire need.

"They travel in by train or car, looking out of the window and seeing the cows in the fields. The image doesn't help. The system is unfair. Unemployment is a factor - but the figures are averaged out."

The next step for the council is to look at the ways its committees operate - a new system should be ready by July this year and be introduced after the summer recess.

Council leader Arthur Neil said: "We will be able to work more closely and efficiently with organisations and individuals and look more at improving the quality of life for people in Vale Royal."

Speaking about the changes, Mr Woods said: "They will free up staff time - there will be less pushing paper and more talking to people outside to build up stronger links with the community."

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