Council could axe more than 200 jobs amid cuts

More than 200 jobs could be axed at Wakefield Council under plans to save £29m from its budget in the next financial year.

Reduced library and museum opening hours are also being considered as part of a raft of cost-saving measures.

The authority previously confirmed its deficit was expected to rise to £88m in the next five years.

Council leader Denise Jeffery said “difficult but responsible decisions” were required to provide a balanced budget after the council forecast a £35.8m shortfall for 2025-26.

Cabinet members will consider a report outlining savings proposals at a meeting on 10 December.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the document said “potential staffing reductions” of up to 236 full-time posts could be made.

The council said it would look to make the reductions through voluntary redundancies and axing vacant posts “as far as possible".

But it warned it expected to issue a Section 188 notice to unions and workers’ representatives “in the coming days”.

Employers are obliged to issue a notice if they are considering large-scale job losses.

Jeffery said the Labour-led authority was "strongly focusing on delivering a budget which protects our frontline services as much as we can, provides the best value for money for local taxpayers and takes the difficult but responsible decisions we need for the district to have a positive future".

She claimed local services had suffered from "14 years of chronic underfunding" under the previous government.

But she said “by taking responsible decisions now we’ll set our area up for long-term success".

Local authorities are legally obliged to deliver a balanced budget.

The initial plans for 2025-26 aimed to save £29m from a “mix of efficiencies, generating more income, and making changes to services.”

The proposals included changes to adult social care services, a reduction in the use of hotels to house homeless people and an increase the fees and charges for some council services.

Final budget proposals will be put to cabinet members in January and a consultation will take place early in 2025.

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