Council to cut jobs amid deficit

Powys council says a consultation process with staff has started

Eleven jobs are under threat at Powys council as it tries to tackle a projected budget deficit of £33m over the next five years.

The local authority is looking to cut the number of staff working in economic and community regeneration services by nearly 20%.

The department had managed visitor centres, but some are now run by town councils.

In January, the council said up to 400 jobs could be lost to save money.

A spokesman for the authority said economic and community regeneration services currently employed 60 staff.

But officials are working on a "radical overhaul" of the department to improve efficiency, which they hope will enable it to react quickly to changing economic circumstances.

The spokesman said the cuts would also reduce overall running costs.

Wynne Jones, the council board member for regeneration, said: "Regeneration services and the way they are managed have changed dramatically in recent years and we must adapt to meet the latest challenges.

"The economic climate today is very different from when the service was established, the council has reduced the number of visitor centres it directly manages and it no longer provides the Welsh Assembly Government-funded Business Eye service."

Mr Jones added: "It is regrettable that 11 posts will be lost as part of the proposals. We are hopeful that some staff will be redeployed within the council but it is likely that there will be some job losses."

The council said staff and trade unions had been informed and a formal two-month consultation process had started.