Up to 450 jobs at risk as Somerset Council faces multi-million pound deficit

As many as 450 jobs could be cut at Somerset Council as the local authority looks to make savings.

A consultation on the redundancies has been launched, and will last 45 days.

A spokesperson for Somerset Council said it has already reduced the number of Executive Directors and Service Directors saving £1.5m, but added that further redundancies are likely.

A "worst-case scenario" would see 450 full-time roles made redundant by April 2025.

It comes as the local authority is looking to make savings of up to £40m to avoid going bust.

A statement issued by Somerset Council reads: "In response to the financial emergency, we previously agreed to a top-to-bottom restructure of the whole council to save £30-£40m by April 2025 to contribute to balancing the budget for 2025/26, in addition to significant savings already made.

"We are now consulting with Trade Unions and staff before any final decisions are made.

"While the size of the workforce will reduce, we will continue to protect and provide essential services for our residents, communities and businesses, while continuing to lobby government for fairer funding.

"Restructuring will help to create future organisational and financial stability while providing clarity for staff on the future Council structure and roles, and ensure we have an affordable staffing budget from April 2025."