Brent Council plan to axe managerial roles and merge departments in latest cost-cutting exercise

Proposals will be presented to the General Purpose Committee next week

Brent Council are planning to axe 13 managerial roles and merge departments in a cost-cutting exercise which will see sweeping changes in the town hall.

Under the proposals, the number of directors will be reduced from nine to five, coporate management team directors from eight to four and assistant directors from 19 to 14.

The town hall also plan to axe the finance and corporate services department, the legal and procurement service and the strategy, partnership and improvement department and transfer their responsibilities to the a new governance and corporate services department, a standalone finance function and an assistant chief executive service.

The education, public health, children’s and adults’ social care units will be merged with the creation of the Education, Health and Social Care department.

The council forecasts that the changes at the director and assistant director level will save them £900,000 and additional changes proposed will save just under £3million.

The proposals have been announced despite the council saving £7m by axing 200 management positions in 2010.

The local authority are midway through a cost-cutting programme to save £100m over four years.

According to a report outlining the proposals, which will be presented to the General Purpose Committee next week, further job losses are essential due to ‘pressures’ on funding for public services.

If the plans are given the green light by the committee a 30-day consultation process will take place with affected staff from April 2, the results announced in mid May and changes implemented by September 1.