Walsall Council cuts: One in four staff 'may lose their job'

Details of 82 proposals, including a charge for the collection of garden waste, that will go out to public consultation were revealed yesterday.

But 78 changes will go ahead without the public's say – providing they are signed off by the relevant Cabinet member.

These include cremation fees rising by 10 per cent, crematoria fees by 20 per cent, burial fees rising by three per cent, and staff across a range of council departments including management, sports and leisure and public health losing their jobs.

• MORE: Revealed - the £86m Walsall Council cuts plan

• MORE: Read the full council report here

The council has not revealed how many staff will go but a spokesman said up to 25 per cent are at risk.

These plans will not go out to public consultation as they are not changes in policy, the spokesman added.

The local authority needs to save £86 million by 2019/20, with a 3.99 per cent rise in council tax each year already accounted for.

The council has seen its spending power dwindle from £746.79m in 2010/11 to £617.88m this current financial year.

Councillor Ian Shires, the leader of the Liberal Democrats in Walsall who run the council alongside the Labour group, said: "As has been stated many times, we can only spend what we have in our budget – a budget where the majority, three quarters comes from central government, 16 per cent from council tax, the rest from charges and fees.

"With the government funding reducing year on year to 2020, we now need a conversation with service users, residents, partners and businesses to identify the activities and services they feel are important and where we should spend our money.

"We strongly believe the more involved people are in shaping our services – by having a meaningful conversation with them, the more likely they will support and accept the changes to services that have to be made."

The council's proposals for savings, which include increasing parking charges and relocating the town's leather museum and local history centre, have been criticised by former Walsall mayor Pete Smith.

He said: "Many of these proposals, if carried through are absolutely shocking and totally unacceptable.

"Without wide scale public protestation on a scale we have not seen for decades, then these cuts will be made and the council will be a shadow of its former self and possibly destined to wither on the vine."