Council confirms 600 jobs are to be axed

A council has confirmed it will lose 600 jobs in the coming year as it tries to save millions of pounds from its budget.

Kirklees Council, which covers towns in West Yorkshire including Huddersfield and Dewsbury, said the reduction in staffing was inevitable as it makes £16 million of savings for the forthcoming financial year.

The 600 posts which are due to go are part of 2,000 job cuts which were announced 18 months ago, 1,000 of which have already gone.

The confirmation of the job losses was made at a budget setting meeting last night at which councillors also agreed wide-ranging cuts from library staff through to swimming pool opening hours.

But Labour council leader Mehboob Khan said that while the financial climate is challenging, the council will continue to invest in its priorities.

Mr Khan said: "We have to take difficult short term decisions to achieve a better long term future.

"Residents rightly expect that we give them value for money and in 2009 we started early on reducing duplication across the council, saving money wherever possible and becoming more efficient.

"Starting then means we are now on schedule to save £40 million by the end of this financial year."

PA