Top officials to go in council shake-up

Dec 11 2009 by Lex Brown, Irvine Herald

FOUR top officials at North Ayrshire Council are to go in a massive staff shake-up, it was decided this week.

The four posts of assistant chief executive will be scrapped, saving the council £250,000.

Three corporate directors will take on the jobs as the drastic council cull continues.

Around 800 jobs are to disappear as the council slashes a staggering £41 MILLION from its budget over the next three years.

New chief executive Elma Murray laid it on the line to the council executive on Tuesday.

She told them the local authority had to modernise and move with the times in its senior staff structure.

She told them the severe financial challenges were well documented.

She said: “It is recognised the council will require to redesign and transform its services in order to meet these challenges.

“The council must focus on tackling a legacy of multiple deprivation currently demonstrated through the highest unemployment levels in Scotland.”

A new post to oversee corporate finance services will be created and there will be a new post of solicitor to the council.

The number of heads of service will drop from 10 to nine.

The assistant chief executive responsible for staffing and personnel matters will report directly to the chief executive.

The shake-up is expected to take effect from the beginning of April next year.

The expected annual savings will be £200,000 in the first year rising to £250,000.

It will represent a saving of 12 per cent of the salary of senior management as the number of chief officers drops from 18 to 14.

The boss added: “As far as possible, current post holders will be matched into the new posts thereby minimising the need to incur additional early retirement and potential redundancy costs.

“Discussions have been taking place with officers to agree their future role.”