A dozen senior leadership roles have been axed at a council at a saving of £1.2 million.

Brighton and Hove City Council said the shake-up will make the local authority “resident-focussed, innovative, strategic and collaborative” while reducing senior management costs.

The council currently faces a potential budget shortfall of £105 million over four years, with a possible £36 million deficit for the next financial year.

The new structure, led by chief executive Jess Gibbons, begins on January 1.

A six-week internal consultation on the scheme saw more than 160 responses.

The consultation outcome paper shows 38 roles will be deleted and 26 posts created.

Changes include the removal of all assistant director posts and the creation of a new strategic director role and changes to some heads of service.

Four existing corporate director positions have been deleted and three new corporate directorates created: families, children and wellbeing; homes and adult social care and city operations.

A new central team including people and innovation, property and finance, governance and law will report directly to the chief executive.

There were several changes to the proposals following the consultation.

Ms Gibbons had considered creating a new post of director clean city however this will not be implemented.

Instead, an interim director environmental services will be appointed who will be tasked with continuing the “modernisation and transformation” of services.

Longer term, the service will be merged with environment and culture.

The council's Cityclean service has been at the centre of allegations of bullying and other unacceptable behaviour. 

A 17-page report on the council’s waste service by King’s Counsel Aileen McColgan was published in November 2023 after whistleblowers came forward alleging sex discrimination, racial harassment and other abuses.

The independent investigation took place over three months and included testimonies from more than 70 witnesses at the depot. Workers said they regularly saw colleagues being violent, racist, homophobic and misogynistic to other staff members.

Explaining her reasoning behind the restructure, Ms Gibbons wrote: “We are all aware of the challenges our waste and recycling teams have experienced in the past including the extreme poor behaviour outlined in the KC report, we know these services are on a journey of cultural and technological change and during this time of change must be supported with leadership and expertise.   

“It is though clear that the size of the service does not justify a single director.”

The Argus understands 12 staff have taken voluntary redundancy as part of the shake-up and those who remain are being considered for the new titles.

“Our aim is to create a learning organisation which is connected, confident, creative and innovative, diverse and inclusive, healthy and psychologically safe and is one where the council thrives under all future administrations,” said Ms Gibbons.

"Thank you to all staff, teams and unions that engaged and helped us develop this structure, it has been a truly iterative and engaged process. I am excited about what the future holds for us and this city."