Almost 10 pc of Bolton Council's workforce is set to be lost as a 'perfect financial storm' means £39 million of spending cuts are being made over the next two years.
Under the proposed budget for next year, 262 full-time positions are set to be axed, while council tax payers are set to see their bills raised by just under four per cent, the maximum allowed.
Council leaders said they have been faced by a 'perfect storm' with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic lowering the authority’s income at a time when they were already having to make difficult financial decisions.
Under new proposals up to 1,881 of the council’s 2,934 workers are under review. It is estimated 262 roles will be lost. Around 128 posts would be scrapped and 134 vacancies will remain unfilled.
Coun David Greenhalgh, council leader, said: "Even before the pandemic struck we were already facing a difficult set of financial decisions this coming year. However, since March, we have been hit by a perfect storm of lost income plus increased pressure and demand for our services as a result of the pandemic.
"While we have had a lot of support from the government to deal with the pandemic itself, and grants to help businesses, it has not been enough to offset council pressures and the losses we have faced."
Plans show 104 roles are set to be lost in children’s services and 30 in adult services. The corporate division is set to have 52 fewer staff while the directorate of place could lose 76 posts. A review of school crossing patrols could halve the roster, to save £107,000 per year.
Several roles involved in the running of Albert Halls look set to go, with a new business model suggested. Another 15 jobs in neighbourhood services and another 15 in highways are under threat.
Formal consultation will now take place with staff, councillors and unions.
Coun Greenhalgh added: "We are willing to listen to people’s concerns, and willing to rethink certain proposals as long as those who oppose can come up with viable and costed alternatives.
"I also want to make sure we are doing everything we can to strengthen our local economy and encourage and support businesses to invest in Bolton as we recover from the pandemic. This is crucial to the livelihoods of our residents but the council’s own ability to generate revenue is also dependent on this success."
Coun Greenhalgh said he was lobbying Whitehall for more funds to be released to Bolton, ahead of a spending review announcement by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Opposition councillors insist it is not right to punish frontline staff who have kept the authority afloat during the pandemic.
Labour Opposition leader Coun Nick Peel said: "It can’t be right the very people who have been at the forefront of the fight against Covid, especially those in public health and adult social care, now risk losing their jobs, causing lasting damage to the council’s ability to continue to protect people, as well as providing its range of services to the public.
"The Government needs to urgently put together a package of measures to allow councils to survive this crisis, otherwise their promise no council would be out of pocket as a result of this crisis will turn out to be empty hollow words.
"Within this, they need to allow time for our income levels to recover to pre-Covid levels, and allow us to set deficit budgets for a period."
But council officials say Bolton’s £61 million cash reserves will not stave off the proposed spending cuts.
Chief executive Tony Oakman says reserves have been used to ease Covid-related pressures but he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service there was only so much which could be taken from these coffers.
Mr Oakman said: "Covid has compounded an already difficult situation. The impact on our income, including the loss of revenue from Manchester Airport Group, has been unprecedented.
"Regrettably spending reductions we are having to make mean some hard-working council staff will lose their jobs."
He hopes vacancy management, voluntary redundancy and voluntary early retirement can mitigate some of the impact on staff.
Mr Oakman said he believed the authority would still be able to deliver statutory services.
Sue Johnson, the council’s deputy chief executive, added: "As part of this process, we will be reviewing how we do everything and finding ways to limit the impact of the reductions on frontline services and those who need them most.”
This would include centralising support services and revisiting contract deals.
