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Lancashire County Council plans to axe 2,500 jobs Lancashire County Council plans to axe 2,500 jobs
(about 2 hours later)
About 2,500 full-time jobs are set to go at Lancashire County Council because of budget cuts, the authority has said. About 2,500 full-time jobs are to go at Lancashire County Council because of budget cuts, the authority has said.
The staff cuts are expected to come into force by April 2016.The staff cuts are expected to come into force by April 2016.
Lancashire County Council (LCC) leader Jennifer Mein said the authority would do "everything" to avoid compulsory redundancies. Lancashire County Council leader Jennifer Mein said the authority would do "everything" to avoid compulsory redundancies.
She said she was "absolutely devastated" but it was the "harsh reality" of the £300m of savings it needs to make over the next four years. She said she was "absolutely devastated" but it was the "harsh reality" of the £300m of savings it needed to make over four years.
'Significant posts''Significant posts'
The Labour councillor said: "It is heartbreaking to think there are 2,500 families that are going to be affected by this.The Labour councillor said: "It is heartbreaking to think there are 2,500 families that are going to be affected by this.
"We have had to be sensible about it; we are being asked to reduce our budget by £800m to £500m and I think most people would understand that it won't be achieved without significant posts being lost." "We have had to be sensible about it; we are being asked to reduce our budget by £800m to £500m and I think most people would understand that it won't be achieved without significant posts being lost.
She said she was going to "do everything we can to avoid compulsory redundancies". "My hope is that enough people will choose to go on a voluntary basis and our proposed approach has that outcome in mind."
"My hope is that enough people will choose to go on a voluntary basis and our proposed approach has that outcome in mind," she said.
Ms Mein said the number of job cuts would leave a "big hole" in services.Ms Mein said the number of job cuts would leave a "big hole" in services.
"We are going to have to reshape our services completely," she said."We are going to have to reshape our services completely," she said.
"What we are trying to do is protect services as far as we possibly can to the most vulnerable people... in the face of the drastic cuts." "What we are trying to do is protect services as far as we possibly can to the most vulnerable people."
The proposals are to go before the council's cabinet on 24 January. The Department for Communities and Local Government said the coalition government had delivered a "fair settlement" and Lancashire's 2.6% was less than the national average of 3.1%.
The authority employs 34,500 people but the majority of jobs are funded through the schools budget. In a statement, a spokesman said: "Every bit of the public sector needs to do their bit to pay off the budget deficit, including local government which accounts for a quarter of all public spending.
There are 13,000 non-school employees at risk by the proposed cuts. "Councils are successfully managing their budgets. Public satisfaction with council services has increased and council tax bills are falling overall in real terms.
On Thursday, the LCC cabinet agreed a proposal to increase council tax by 1.99%. "In the coming year councils should stay focused on cutting waste, making sensible savings, modernising frontline services and keeping council tax down."
Ms Mein said the rise, the equivalent of 41.5p per for a band D property, would bring in an extra £7.3m and was "a small price to pay" to protect services. Lancashire council's proposals are to go before the authority's cabinet on 24 January.
The authority employs 34,500 people, but the majority of jobs are funded through the "ring-fenced" schools budget.
The job losses will be among the 13,000 non-school council employees.
On Thursday, the cabinet agreed a proposal to increase council tax by 1.99%.
Ms Mein said the rise, the equivalent of 41.5p per week for a band D property, would bring in an extra £7.3m and was "a small price to pay" to protect services.
The final decision on the council tax increase will be made at a full council meeting on 27 February.The final decision on the council tax increase will be made at a full council meeting on 27 February.