SOMERSET Council will push forward with hundreds of job cuts despite warnings from councillors and trade unions that front-line services will take a hit.

The council is going through its transformation programme, which will see more than 550 staff leaving the organisation in early-April as the delivery of different public services are streamlined.

The reduction in staff is fundamental to the council delivering a balanced budget, on top of selling off non-operational assets and being allowed to raise council tax by 7.5 per cent – higher than the 4.99 per cent cap which the government usually allows.

The cutbacks have been criticised by trade unions, opposition councillors and auditors – with the latter warning that these redundancies will be pushed through before the new structure of the council has been finalised, potentially leading to service disruption.

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The council has responded that it has had to move faster and deeper than originally intended in light of the previous government’s decisions and its perilous financial position.

The staffing changes were finalised at a full council meeting held at Somerset County Cricket Club in Taunton on Wednesday afternoon (February 12).

Neil Guild from Unison said there was “no costed business case” for how the council would function after these redundancies had taken place.

He said: “We recognise that the council must create a comprehensive and sustainable plan for the future.

“However, we have raised repeated concerns about the lack of a detailed, costed business case and the inadequacy of detail on the projects required to implement these changes.”

Taunton resident David Orr – who openly criticised the council’s executive earlier this month – added: “This council’s response to the government-appointed auditor is a veritable ‘word salad’ – with no explanation as to how, on Day 689, key plans and an operating model appear to be absent or incomplete.

“Councillors know all about failed transformation programmes. They have been a source of chaos and concern at Somerset County Council with South West One, and then at both Taunton Deane and South Somerset District Councils with Ignite.”

Chief executive Duncan Sharkey responded that the changes were “essential” to ensuring the council could deliver front-line services on a stable footing in the coming years.

He said: “Within the first six months [of its existence], it was patently obvious that the council was in a financial emergency, and the work we had taken from the One Somerset business case would not have been sufficient.

“We still have colleagues within the council today who are working within old structures. These changes give us absolutely clarity over which teams are doing which job.

“Even if this didn’t save any money, it is absolutely essential to do this.”

Following concerns raised by councillors, Mr Sharkey said that the upcoming budget (which will be voted upon in early-March) will include more resources for the council’s planning department to ensure it remained functional.

Councillor Tony Lock (Liberal Democrat, Yeovil East) welcomed this announcement, stating: “We are treading water, and the water in which we are treating is getting deeper and deeper. Planning is an essential service for the people of Somerset.”

The proposals faced widespread criticism from opposition councillors, including those that had supported the One Somerset business case put forward by then-county council leader David Fothergill.

Councillor Dave Mansell (Green, Upper Tone) said he could not support the staffing changes, arguing that sharp cuts in council funding since 2010 had decimated local services.

He said: “This council is underfunded – that is why we are in this sorry position.

“We have to balance our budget and that’s why this restructure is needed. But this will change the council, and not necessarily for the better.

“The changes will greatly reduce the capacity of this council to deliver services. It is to be greatly regretted and to see so many of our officers leaving is very sad.”

Councillor Gwiylm Wren (Independent, Upper Tone) said the council’s current predicament should serve as a cautionary tale to the Labour government, which is encouraging the creation of more unitary or mayoral authorities as part of its devolution programme.

He said: “Local government is broken. We would rather be anywhere else than debating this in the room.

“What I can’t understand is why the government is pushing more councils down the unitary path, considering where we find ourselves.

“Until we have sorted our adult social care and children’s services, I really don’t see how we can go forward with any sense of security, stability or sustainability.”

Councillor Leigh Redman (Labour, Bridgwater North and Central) added: “This council is already falling short, and I believe these changes will cause it to fall further. I’m trying to find positives in our situation – but I can’t.

“The size of staffing cuts and the speed of the restructure mean that we won’t know the full impact until it’s too late.

“My only hope is that the failures to our residents won’t be terminal.”

Councillor Mandy Chilcott (Conservative, Minehead) said she could not support the changes – despite her party being the driving force behind the original move to a unitary authority.

She said: “This council is totally dependent on selling the family silver to balance its budget.

“I feel so strongly that we should have looked at the services we wished to deliver before some of our most valued staff leave the organisation.”

Councillor Theo Butt Philip, portfolio holder for transformation and human resources, said that he and his officers had held regular consultation with staff and union representatives to ensure the programme was transparent.

Mr Butt Philip (who represents the Wells division) said: “We accept there will be challenges to implementing the changes required, and there will need to be investment in our services to support these changes.

“The pressure on our council budget remains severe, with demand for social care being far in excess of income levels.

“This is a national problem affecting all local authorities.”

The full council will reconvene at the Canalside conference venue in Bridgwater on March 5 at 1pm to set its annual budget.