Slough Borough Council in £1.2m staff cuts bid

The council says most job cuts would be achieved by "expressions of interest" and existing vacancies

A Berkshire council wants to axe some of its senior staff and some of its housing team in a bid to save £1.2m.

Slough Borough Council wants to reduce the number of its directors from five to four and the number of senior managers from 27 to 17.

More junior jobs in the housing team will also be cut, but the council could not give exact figures.

It said the cuts would be achieved by "expressions of interest" and through existing vacancies.

Consultations on the jobs cuts will end in mid-November, during which time staff can respond to the proposals.

If the proposal on senior management jobs is agreed, cuts will be made before 1 April 2011, saving the council £700,000.

Councillor Rob Anderson, leader of the Labour run council, said: "Losing valued staff is never nice, but residents have been clear that cutting back on management and administration has to come before cutting services and we completely agree."

The housing team cuts include both senior and more junior positions, the council said. If agreed, they will save the council about £500,000 a year.

The cuts come after the council brought its property management organisation People 1st (Slough), which used to manage council properties and estates, back in-house on 1 July.