Sweeping cuts could see 240 jobs go at Midlothian Council

Midlothian Council has put together a list of cost-saving proposals, including the loss of 240 jobs.

The local authority says by 2021 it will face a budget shortfall of £45m, so cuts to costs and a reduction in services is essential.

£9.3 million in savings are proposed for 2018/19, rising to £28.9 million by 2021/22 but the final decision on what will be impacted will not take place until early 2018.

Midlothian Council says it is down to "continuing cuts in Scottish Government funding at a time of increased demand from a growing population for key services such as education and social care".

Some of the proposals include reducing the number of adult social care workers, lollipop men and women and increasing the cost of school meals.

Midlothian Council Leader Derek Mulligan told Forth News: "I'm actually appalled and shocked at some of the suggestions and I question whether they are achievable. But the reality is the officers have an impossible task because all of the services we are currently delivering are essential.

"I think the lack of money for adult social care, for health are bad. Midlothian Council needs to find over £12m to invest in new schools but we know there's no funding. That's going to need to be found somewhere else.

"The only people that can stop these cuts is the Scottish Government and they need to take action to stop these attacks on local authorities which is going to impact massively in our communities."