830 More Jobs Go At Manchester City Council

Manchester City Council has announced plans to shed another 830 jobs, on top of the 2000 that have already been lost, due to government cuts.

They'll go over the next two years as the authority looks to save £80 million.

Council tax will also go up by 3.7%, adding around £2.84 to the average monthly bill.

The changes will be confirmed at the next meeting of senior councillors on 23rd January.

Leader Sir Richard Leese said: "Manchester has again been one of the places hit the hardest by the government's financial settlement.

"It is inescapable that the funding gap we have been left with, coming as it does on top of the severe budget reductions imposed on us in the previous two years, means the Council has to make very real cuts and at the same time make fundamental changes to the way it operates.

"There are glimmers of light in the gloom through new and innovative ways of working and through some well planned investment.

"Imaginative restructuring of services to promote better integration will mean better outcomes for many of our most vulnerable residents.

"We are absolutely committed to doing the best we can for Manchester residents and the businesses that provide jobs for them given the extremely difficult hand we have been dealt.

"Our priorities remain to support and protect the most vulnerable residents while continuing to show leadership by investing in the future to promote the economic growth, job creation and skills development which will underpin the city's future success."

Under the cuts swimming pools in Broadway, Levenshulme, Miles Platting and Withington will close, along with libraries in Burnage, Fallowfield, Miles Platting, New Moston, Northenden and Levenshulme.

To make up for those closures, the council is building new leisure centres in Beswick, Hough End and Levenshulme.

You can listen to Capital's Matt Mears interviewing Councillor Jeff Smith, who's in charge of finance, below.

Jeff Smith on council cuts