ST ALBANS: Between 25 and 30 jobs on the district council will go in the wake of cuts in government grants which amounts to 27 per cent over two years.

Although the majority of jobs are current vacant and the council has asked for voluntary redundancies, it admits that some compulsory redundancies will be needed.

Additional savings will also have to be planned for because the government is expected to announce more cuts to the council’s grant in two years time.

Like most local authorities, St Albans council had been looking at reorganising its services to make them more efficient and offset the cuts in grant.

Last week the council began a detailed consultation with staff on the reorganisation which is to help alleviate a budget cut of �1.8 million next year and a further �1.7 million the year after.

Council leader, Cllr Robert Donald, said: “The council aims to minimise the impact of the necessary reorganisation on front line services and to ensure that the delivery of existing council priorities are kept on track as far as possible.”

n Hertsmere borough council, which is responsible for services in Radlett, will lost �2 million over the next two years – just under 27 per cent.

Like St Albans council, it has been planning for the situation in the past few months and has been working to reduce its overheads including a reduction in staff numbers.

Pledging to protect front line services, Hertsmere council leader, Cllr Morris Bright, said: “Hertsmere has seen the highest reduction in grant allocation across Hertfordshire.

“And while the figures are very large they are not totally unexpected.”