Lewisham Council to discuss budget cuts

With the media reporting that as many as 100,000 local council jobs could be under threat nation- wide, this evening's full meeting of Lewisham Council will discuss a budget paper, which raises the possibility of the Council identifying savings of £50-60m over three years.

The desired saving can't be delivered by efficiency savings alone and the paper argues for a "step change in the Council's approach."

In November, the Council agreed a strategy which would cut 50 posts, of which only 20 were vacant at the time of publication, meaning the headcount would shrink by 30.

Savings are required as a result of the impact of recession on revenue and expenditure, combined with an anticipated tightening of central government spending and a renewed commitment to an increase of 0% in Lewisham's Council Tax for 2010/11.

The Council is Lewisham's biggest employer.