Hundreds of jobs to go at Walsall Council, leader warns

A further 100 posts will also be axed under the money-saving measures.

Council leader Mike Bird spelt out the human consequence of the next batch of £25 million savings at a meeting lobbied by placard-waving protesters chanting 'unfair' and 'selfish' about other upcoming cutbacks.

Councillor Bird said he was now going to write to the local government secretary Greg Clark to tell him the council was stretched to its financial limit.

He said: "I'm getting tired of doing the government's dirty work. Enough is enough.

"We've got to stand up to government - we can't keep reducing our services or closing them down. Westminster is not going to empty the bins or fill in the holes in the road."

The leader was yesterday (THUR) talking to unions about a total of 354 potential job losses, both voluntary and compulsory, and a further 96.8 posts, currently vacant, which would be deleted if the 2016/17 budget is given the go-ahead.

And when it comes to the 2017/18 budget, there will be a referendum with people given the choice of either accepting a council tax increase of two per cent or more or paying for some services or face losing them. The council has been criticised for allocating £250,000 to spend on a referendum in which the outcome is expected to be a resounding 'no' to a council tax hike.

But Mr Bird said: "We have no option. Some think that if you cut councillors' allowances it will balance the books. They just don't get it. We've got to get the message across that there are some difficult decisions to be made, and we need people's input."

As part of the proposed cuts, seven out of 16 libraries and the mobile library service would shut, with the loss of 13 jobs, as part of plans to save £328,854 next year and £159,058 the year after.

Walsall's decision-making cabinet voted through the financial plan at the meeting on Wednesday night.

An appeal to delay a £73,000 cut in youth services' funding in the borough's poorest areas to spend on better-off neighbourhoods was rejected. The meeting was lobbied by placard-waving youngsters chanting 'unfair' and 'selfish'. Councillor Pete Smith called the cabinet decision 'a Robin Hood policy in reverse.'

Council tax will rise by 1.99 per cent next year – the maximum the authority can impose without resorting to a referendum - with the a higher rise planned the year after.

Waste collection services are also expected to be affected. The authority has already consulted with residents over moving to fortnightly collections for non-recyclable rubbish.

Market traders across the borough face an increase in rents, with stallholders in Bloxwich and Willenhall looking at a £5-a-day rise. Care and safeguarding services alone will account for £10.2m of savings next year.