A RYEDALE councillor claims the district council is facing ‘catastrophic consequences’ unless its senior management structure is replaced.

Coun Paul Andrews said members missed an important opportunity at last Monday’s special budget meeting to call for a review of senior staff.

“If the entire management structure was replaced, we could be looking at savings of £250,000 and possibly up to £400,000.

“Instead we were talking about saving £10,000 by abolishing councillors’ teas which is a drop in the ocean compared with the £1 million savings the district council needed to find. What’s more, it will take away money from the lowest paid staff at Ryedale.”

Coun Andrews added that it was disappointing that a motion to sweep away the top level of management was not discussed further.

“It was a very bad mistake. We have to think about planning for next year now when there won’t be as much money available.

“To avoid cuts to services and the jobs of frontline staff being lost, the council needs to save money on the people who do the organising and rearrange the management structure to save the maximum amount.”

Paul Cressell, corporate director for Ryedale District Council, said the authority was preparing for the future and had plans in place to reduce its costs and take inefficiencies out of the system by changing the way services are provided.

“Ryedale District Council has asked for expressions of interest in voluntary redundancy from every single member of staff, including management.

“Coun Andrews’s assertion that we are looking at reducing staff at lower levels is completely unfounded.

“In November 2009 Coun Andrews wrote in the Ryeview column (in the Gazette & Herald) that: “all the evidence I have seen suggests that Ryedale’s senior management is paid more than in most similar councils”

“I have made verbal and written requests to review his evidence on this. However he has failed to meet me.

“A confidential survey I undertook last year highlighted that Ryedale District Council has the third least expensive senior management team among 10 similar authorities that the audit commission says are comparable to us.

“My offer to meet Coun Andrews to review his evidence stands.”