North Yorks reshuffle cuts legal posts

FIVE legal services posts are to be axed as a result of the reorganisation of a county council's management structure.

The number of legal staff at North Yorkshire County Council will be cut from 24 to 19 after next April. But acting county secretary David Parrish said there were unlikely to be redundancies.

The cuts include making three temporary contract posts - a solicitor, a conveyancer and a junior - redundant, and transferring two others to York Council. There may also be some natural wastage.

Parrish said: "It doesn't mean the 19 left are the same 19 who will be doing the same jobs. We have taken the opportunity to revise job descriptions and there are some new jobs."

North Yorkshire's reorganisation involves splitting up the county secretary's department into new "business units", including one for legal services.

The shake-up has caused widespread concern because it involves the loss of a total of 400 jobs at the county headquarters in Northallerton.

Last week councillors approved the proposals, which will shave an estimated £7 million from spending.