Kelham Hall restructure approved

Radical plans to change the way Newark and Sherwood District Council works have been approved.

Faced with the task of making £1.7m in savings next year, the council last night agreed to a major restructure, including 40.6 job losses.

The restructuring was recommended by the council's Tory cabinet but opposition councillors bemoaned the lack of alternatives.

Council leader Mr Tony Roberts said if there was another way of making the savings, he would do it.

"We have sliced and sliced. Now we have to look at something far more surgical and radical. We are facing unprecedented cuts in the government grant," he said.

This week the district council was told by the Government that it would have a 6.7% reduction in its spending power next year.

The council's head of finance, Mr David Dickinson, said the real cut would be about 14.8%.

The total cut over the next two years will be about 25%.

This year the council received about £10.3m from the government, but Mr Dickinson said that would be reduced to about £8.4m next year and £7.4m the following year.

He said it was the toughest settlement he had seen in more than 30 years in local government.

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