More than 60 council staff accept resign-for-cash scheme

'AUSTERITY DOES NOT WORK' OPPOSITION COUNCILLORS VOICE CONCERNS AS PLANS TO REDUCE STAFF NUMBERS FINALISED 14:05, 20 May 2025 More than 60 staff members have taken up an offer to

resign from Solihull Council in return for a pay-off as the authority continues to look for savings. It will cost around £1.7 million to pay off the staff - but the resignations will save

the authority millions. As the Local Democracy Reporting Service previously reported, all council employees, except school staff, with three or more years service at the cash-strapped

authority were eligible to apply for the mutual early resignation scheme (MERS). READ MORE: Planners advised again to give go-ahead to 450 new homes on Solihull green belt GET BREAKING NEWS

ON BIRMINGHAMLIVE WHATSAPP The scheme enables employees to leave their jobs with the authority - which employs around 6,000 people - in return for a severance payment. Article continues

below It was introduced as the council faced a multi-million pound deficit to the end of the last financial year. In February the council received confirmation its application to government

for a £48.273 million ‘overdraft’ in exceptional financial support (EFS) had been approved. At the latest meeting of the authority’s cabinet, senior councillors considered using £10m of EFS

to create a transformation fund to help the council "achieve ongoing savings”, with around £1.73 million of fund recommended to be used for MERS severance payments. Councillors heard

staff applications were invited until the end of March and considered in April. On April 30, staff were told the outcome with 66 approved applications. It is estimated there will be a saving

to the council of just over £2 million this financial year, rising to just over £2.75 million in the next financial year when the staff leave. But Coun Max McLoughlin, leader of the green

group on the authority, said he had "significant concerns" around MERS, suggesting the authority was implementing cuts to public services and looking to minimise the impact.

“Austerity does not work - we do not get more for less," the councillor said. “What we are seeing here is spending in affect, in this year, the majority of the council tax increase on

reducing the workforce and stripping some significant experience out." Coun Karen Grinsell, Solihull Council’s new leader, said: “I don’t believe services are being cut, I’d like to put

that on record.” Deputy leader Coun Ian Courts said: “I challenge the fact being efficient means cuts. “One of the things we have tried really hard in the budget process is to defend

frontline services.” Coun Bob Sleigh said: “We need to recognise it (MERS) was a voluntary scheme, this is not a redundancy. “We have had a full process of evaluation on these posts and

these can be dealt with under MERS. “I don’t support the view this leads to a reduction in services.” Leader of the Liberal Democrat group Coun Ade Adeyamo said: “We are trying to paint cuts

as good news. “Last year we were told staff were working at their absolute maximum. “We are now going to remove 66 people from that - you don’t need to be Einstein to work out something has

to give.” Paul Johnson, Solihull Council 's chief executive, said: “What the report doesn’t say is how many (applications) we didn’t approve, and there were a considerable number. “As

a team we went through every single application and worked out the consequences. Article continues below “How those tasks and responsibilities would be absorbed, how they would be

distributed and how we would do things differently - this has been a very in-depth process.” Coun Grinsell added: “We are working within our means and officers have come forward with a plan

we can work with and save the amounts we need to.” Senior councillors agreed the recommendations during the cabinet meeting held on May 15.