It was announced earlier this year that 1,600 people would lose their jobs over the next five years as Derbyshire County Council tries to save money.
Libraries are among the services affected
The council wants to save £157 million over the next five years, as they made a £10.5 million shortfall on this year’s plan. This means that at least £47.2 million must be saved next year and so the trend will continue until they reach their goal. But what services are most likely to be affected by the council job cuts?
It seems that children’s centres, libraries and care homes will be the worst affected services. Many properties will close and grants will be slashed for those that need the services the most. People will be expected to pay for the services they were once entitled to, meaning that many elderly and vulnerable people could miss out on the care they need.
Anne Western, Council Leader spoke of the devastation these cuts could cause on the local area. She said: “This is an impossible situation forced upon us by the coalition government. We are faced with making devastating cuts to our services.
“Local government is being unfairly targeted and is being told to take a bigger share of cuts than any other public service. Important local services will be lost as a direct result of these cuts and £157m will be taken out of the local economy.”
But it isn’t just commercial properties that will be affected by the cuts. With so many job cuts in an area, people may be forced to seek work elsewhere which could bring house prices down. The effects could be astronomical for the Derbyshire area.
Is your job under threat at Derbyshire County Council? Share your story with us below.
