COUNCIL bosses could be axed in a bid to save cash.

COUNCIL bosses could be axed in a bid to save cash.

East Devon District Council have admitted that a working party of councillors has been formed expressly to discuss the possibility and consequences of axing some or all of the corporate directorship posts.

But they stress it is only one of a number of cash-saving options being considered.

Currently the highest tier of EDDC’s management structure is the four corporate directorships, Denise Lyon, Peter Jeffs, Diccon Pearse and Karime Hassan.

These posts are the top level of management second only to the council’s Chief Executive Mark Williams.

An EDDC spokesman said that economic climate presented all councils with some of the biggest financial challenges faced for decades.

He said: “It is therefore necessary to consider a number of options – or a combination of these – to be able to present a balanced budget for the coming year and beyond, whilst continuing to deliver key services.

“As in the private sector, one of the options to meet any budget shortfall is reducing the pay-bill by re-structuring the management team.

“This will be one of the options under consideration by a working party that will be looking at how EDDC can continue to offer residents the best possible service at the best possible value.”

“These processes are currently at a very early stage and it is therefore not possible to estimate what savings might be achieved or speculate about the outcome.”

The spokesman added that by entering a partnership with South Somerset District Council they have ‘opened up opportunities for sharing’ and they were ‘progressing several joint projects’ that will make savings.

Last week, however, the Journal broke the news that the partnership had been postponed until at least the spring because SSDC was hopeful they could set a balanced budget for the next finacial period.