Big squeeze at North Lanarkshire Council means 744 jobs to go

ITS leader Jim McCabe called it “a budget made in Edinburgh and Westminster, with us just the messenger” and one of the toughest challenges of his political career, but North Lanarkshire Council has decided its budget for 2013-2014.

The financial plan includes cuts worth £62.4 million to be made over three years, but the council insists the protection of front-line services has been its top priority.

Council tax remains unchanged since 2007, but the local authority has also confirmed the equivalent of 744 full time jobs will be lost - though the vast bulk of this reduction will be achieved through voluntary redundancy or the deletion of vacant posts rather than compulsory redundancy.

See this week’s Cumbernauld News and Kilsyth Chronicle for more facts, figures and opinion.