Top manangement jobs have been slashed in a shake-up of a council's white-collar workforce.

Changes to the top at Hastings Borough Council have been agreed by bosses in a an attempt to improve day-to-day running.

Fifteen chief officer posts will be cut to seven. The positions will be re-named executive directorships.

Seven new general manager positions will be created, a move council bosses have denied as demotion for those involved.

A spokeswoman for the council said: "All our chief officers will be encouraged to apply for the newly-created executive director positions.

"For those whose applications are unsuccessful, there are a number of new general manager posts which our officers will be invited to take up.

"The new executive directors will be asked to advise on the role and function of the general managers to complement the development of their division and we will ensure that the skills and experience of the officers are used in the best possible way as part of this restructuring."

She could not confirm whether those taking up general manager posts would have a drop in pay.

Councillor Jeremy Birch, leader of the council, said the move would make the council less "top-heavy", rendering it more manageable.

He said: "But this is not about cost cutting. We intend to invest the savings produced by this reorganisation in strengthening the staffing structures of the council at other levels to make it more responsive to what the people of Hastings and St Leonards want.

"It is also our intention that there should be no compulsory redundancies as a result of these changes.

"We will streamline the decision-making process and strengthen the organisation.

"We are also making other changes internally to recognise how important our staff are, which should improve the quality of service we offer.

"I look forward to meeting the new senior management team and the staff representatives to discuss how we can make the most of this opportunity.

"We've called this year the year of delivery - these changes will help us deliver real improvements to the service we provide."