DOZENS of jobs have been earmarked for the chop at a council.

Derwentside District Council, which must find up to £500,000 annual savings ahead of next year's budget in order to maintain services, has embarked on a major restructuring programme designed to "streamline" staffing levels.

Two directors at the council have already taken voluntary redundancy as a result of the changes and now staff from other ranks in the organisation will have to go.

It has also emerged that seven painters directly employed by the council were advised to take voluntary redundancy in October.

Management and lower ranking administration staff are bracing themselves for a report to councillors expected in January which will earmark other jobs to go.

Mike Clark, the council's director of public services, would not reveal how many jobs were at stake except to say it would be well under 100.

He said the authority hoped that all the members of staff who left would take voluntary redundancy. "The decision about the painters was entirely separate and was largely down to the fact that in the winter months it is difficult to get external painting done in any case.

About 70 to 80 per cent of all external painting jobs were contracted out in any case.

"As to the streamlining of the council, we are in the process of a wide-ranging review and we have encouraged staff who would be prepared to take voluntary redundancy to come forward.

The losses would be cut from top management downwards.

Mr Clark said the number of directors at the council was reduced from five to three when Barry Edge and Malcolm Davies, directors of the Direct Services Organisation and Environmental Services respectively, took voluntary redundancy. Mr Edge left last year and Mr Davies earlier this year.

Leader of the council Alex Watson said the situation was "regrettable" but added that the authority had been forced by the Government into a situation where it had to make cuts