TWELVE hundred jobs are to be axed at Hampshire County Council as part of plans to tackle a £55m funding gap, it was confirmed today.

The authority plans to save £7.9m by cutting 25 per cent of the 600 senior management posts, £4.4m through a recruitment freeze and £10m by renegotiating contracts.

Other savings include cuts to the subsidy the council give to bus operators and slashing the mobile library fleet from 19 vehicles to six.

The cuts have been previously revealed by the Daily Echo throughout the course of the last six months.

The entire package was confirmed in a statement by the county council this morning.

Among other cost saving measures earmarked by the aurhtoity is o cut communications, support and IT costs by about £1m each.

Funding for schools is ring-fenced by Government and is not affected by the cost-cutting.

But every other department will be hit although child protection and road repairs are to be spared.

Those who keep their jobs face a pay freeze and cuts to overtime and weekend pay.

Council leader Ken Thornber said: "Included within this programme are plans to reduce our pay bill which makes up 51 per cent of our overall budget.

"We have tried to do this in a way that minimises job losses and we hope where possible to achieve this through voluntary redundancy but sadly there will be some staff who face compulsory redundancy."

Council documents about the cuts

Click full screen to read the document you want

Savings explained

Cllr Ken Thornber's overview

Questions and Answers

Decision Timeline

Where the money comes from