Anger at council jobs review

Councillor Graham Marsden, leader of the Tory opposition on Eastbourne Borough Council, warned the town's economy faced "death by a thousand cuts" unless action was taken.

Speaking at a full council meeting, Coun Marsden stopped short of demanding job cuts but said: "Until a management review is undertaken, the controlling group, in power for ten of the last 12 years, will continue to snip here and there until nothing is functioning effectively.

"This will have a catastrophic consequence on the town's economy - death by a thousand cuts."

His comments were blasted by Lib Dem speakers who accused Coun Marsden of glibly attempting to axe council officers' jobs.

Coun Maurice Skilton said: "This authority has always had a good record in the way it treats its staff and always looked very carefully at the welfare of its staff. It makes me so cross when councillors stand up and say we can solve all our problems by sacking staff."

The last council structure review took place five years ago and Tories have called on Lib Dem leaders to instigate another.

Coun Marsden warned council members Eastbourne was in danger of becoming a backwater and called for layers of bureaucratic administration to be examined.

Almost 700 people work for Eastbourne Borough Council full-time and the cost in wages accounts for 24 per cent of the authority's spending.

Council members recently voted to approve plans to cut tourism, parks and gardens and theatre budgets in an attempt to save thousands of pounds and keep a rise in council tax to a minimum.

Councillors hoped slashing the budgets by £600,000 would go someway towards saving about £3 million over the next five years.

Lib Dem councillor David Tutt said before final decisions on cuts were made the matter would go to public consultation.

He said the council's priorities rested on creating jobs, reducing crime, reducing waste, improving services and decent, affordable homes.