PLANS to save more than £300,000 by restructuring a council have finally been completed.

Derwentside District Council has shed 23 jobs, including those of two directors, in a streamlining of the authority from five major departments to three. All 23 men and women who are leaving their jobs took voluntary redundancy.

The director of public services at the council, Mike Clark, explained that it would save about £300,000 in wages and an unspecified amount of money in administration costs as a result of the restructuring. The money would help the council to maintain services in the coming financial year.

The council has also identified other ways it can make annual savings of nearly £200,000 ahead of next year's budget including using staff in a number of different roles and using machinery, including information technology equipment, better.

Mr Clark has been involved in the restructuring programme during the past year and said interviews were still on-going for a number of newly created posts within the authority.

He said: "This has been a long, drawn-out exercise and it is very good news that it is finally over.

"Hopefully the public will see improvements in the way we deliver services when the restructuring programme is complete by April 1."

The leader of the council, Alex Watson, said the council would now be in a position to declare next year's council tax rates after consultations with the county council. He pencilled in February 27 as the date the council would be able to declare the new rate.

He said: "We aim not only to maintain but to improve services, including street cleaning and boosting information technology commerce, and these savings will help us do that."