A SHAKE-up of senior posts could cost £2m in redundancy packages and other costs.

Bromsgrove district councillors will vote tonight (Wednesday) on whether to dip into savings to fork out £2m to cover the biggest shake up of senior posts at the Council House for decades.

They also plan to earmark £65,000 from the authority's emergency fund to make good the loss of interest from the £2m. The £65,000 had already been calculated in the new budget.

The decisions, the Advertiser/Messenger can exclusively reveal, will be taken by the council's executive committee in private.

News of possible job losses, as part of a major restructuring exercise of the authority's top flight managers to improve performance and efficiency, has come as a bombshell.

The reorganisation includes the creation of two new posts. One is a deputy to chief executive Sue Nixon, who took over a year ago - the other a new head of finance. The salaries for these new posts range from £52/56,000 and £48/£52,000 respectively

It is understood the reorganisation will see the creation of a new 'super tier' of seven top bosses liaising between corporate directors and chief officers. At present there are 14.

The council's present structure of eight senior directors will have to reapply for their own jobs. This exercise alone will cost tax payers a further £6,000.

The £2m will fund any redundancies and early retirement packages for the unsuccessful candidates.

The jobs affected are the directors of planning and leisure and the heads of environment, community safety, administration, legal services and audit and policy.

Officials at Burcot Lane could not be contacted for a comment as we went to press.