Blackpool Council to shed 300 jobs in budget cuts

Blackpool Council has announced that it is to cut 300 jobs in a bid to save £40m over the next two years.

It will address how it delivers services for adults, housing and planning, but front-line social workers and school-crossing patrols would be protected.

The announcement comes on the back of a mixed year for Blackpool, which lost its airport in 2014, but also registered record visitor numbers.

“Unfortunately there appears no light at the end of the tunnel - services will continue to be cut and jobs lost. This will not go unnoticed by the residents of Blackpool, the businesses that operate here and the visitors who come to stay.

“It is an unsettling time for many people including staff, but the commitment to delivering the best possible services to Blackpool residents remains undiminished." He added: “It is gut-wrenching to know that hundreds of staff have come to work today and will go home with an uncertain future through no fault of their own. I cannot imagine how they feel but they have my every sympathy, it must be a terribly upsetting time."