‘Perfect storm of austerity’: Council leaders call for government help as job cuts plan approved

The staff cuts are among a wide range of measures planned to save £29m from its budget in the next financial year.

A meeting heard the council’s cabinet members had lobbied Labour government ministers over its financial challenges as they signed off of initial budget plans for 2025-26.

Library and museum opening hours could also be reduced under the proposals to deal with a £35.8m shortfall next year.

The council expects its deficit to rise to £88m in the next five years.

Garden waste collections are also to be placed under review with the council considering “offering a monthly collection as a minimum.”

Council leader Denise Jeffery said: “Local government is facing a perfect storm of austerity cuts.

“People want more and more from our services and that is what we are here for, to give services to the public.

“But it is becoming more and more difficult.

“While we are not in the same situation as colleagues across West Yorkshire, it is tough times for us across the district.”

Councils across the country expect to receive provisional finance settlements from central government, which allocates spending power to local authorities, next week.

Coun Jeffery said: “We have the settlement coming but they have obviously inherited quite a lot of issues – terrible financial problems – so we don’t expect that overnight they can resolve everything.

“We need to get it across to the government, and we are doing, how important local government is to the people.

“It’s us that have to deal with all the frontline issues.

“We want them to know just how important local government is and it has to be financed properly.

“We shall be fighting for that and lobbying. We have MPs in key positions in West Yorkshire.

“Be assured that we shall be lobbying them as much as we can to get a good settlement in the future.”

Coun Jeffery said she hoped the job losses could be made through voluntary redundancies but confirmed the council had issued a Section 188 notice to unions and workers’ representatives.

Employers are obliged to issue a notice if they are considering large-scale job losses.

Coun Jeffery added: “As a responsible employer and because of good relations with our trades union colleagues, we issued a 118 notice.

“It’s something that myself and cabinet didn’t want to do, but we have done that.

“Hopefully we can make sure that people who want to leave the authority on a voluntary basis do that rather than compulsory redundancies.

“We need to be transparent and work with our trades union colleagues.

“It is a difficult situation.

“I think the proposals strike the right balance between being responsible and prioritising what matters to our local communities.”

Local authorities are legally obliged to deliver a balanced budget.

The proposals include changes to adult social care services, a reduction in the use of hotels to house homeless people and an increase the fees and charges for some council services.

Deputy leader Jack Hemingway said: “I think there are some very difficult measures within this budget, make no mistake.

“We’ve had 14 years of government austerity.

“There are no easy choices left for local authorities to make.

“Authorities across the country find themselves in this position, so it’s not just a Wakefield problem.

“We are using every penny to avoid making cuts where possible.

“Hopefully, let’s see some positive news coming out of government so we don’t have to make some of these extremely challenging decisions.

“But if not, we will have no choice but to ensure we have a balanced budget that protects the authority and delivers key services for local residents.”

Michael Graham, cabinet member for regeneration and economic growth, said: “If we keep doing this every single year there is going to be absolutely nothing left. We might as well not even be here.

“This isn’t because we are making bad decisions around this table, or because Labour councillors are not doing their jobs properly – we are.

“It’s happening right across the country in every single council.

“I’m just a bit fatigued by it all.

“I just really hope that there is some light around the corner.

“Where we can start reinvesting back into public services and grow the offer for Wakefield.”