A number of senior figures at Westmorland and Furness Council are set to leave their roles as part of a major restructuring of the authority’s senior leadership team aimed at cutting costs and reshaping services.
The council launched a consultation with staff earlier this year on proposals to “reshape and reduce” its senior leadership structure, with the new arrangements expected to be in place by July 2026.
The authority says the changes could save around £1.75 million per year and are part of wider efforts to ensure the council remains “financially sustainable”.
At present, 21 members of the council’s senior leadership team earn more than £100,000 a year.
A spokesperson for the council said:
“A consultation on a reshape and reduction of our senior leadership team began in March with the aim of a new structure being implemented from July 2026.
“The budget setting meeting in February laid out the council’s financial challenges, with the need to bring in a range of cost-saving and revenue-raising plans to offset a substantial loss in core funding brought about by a change in government funding priorities.
“Other staff-related actions to reduce costs include a voluntary redundancy scheme and continued re-shaping of services.”
Some members of the current senior leadership team have already announced they will be leaving the council in the coming months.
Among them is the council’s Director of Thriving Communities, who confirmed she will depart in September following the senior management restructure.
The council has not publicly confirmed exactly how the cuts to senior leadership posts will be made. However, it is understood that some existing departments will be merged, with new director and assistant director positions overseeing wider service areas.
Current director-level departments include:
Enabler Services
Resources (S151)
Thriving Places
Thriving Communities
Adult Social Care
Children’s Services
Health and Social Care Integration
The restructuring also includes the authority’s new Chief Executive role.
Each department currently has a number of assistant director positions, which are also expected to be affected by the changes.
It is understood the senior leadership structure could be reduced to four directors alongside the Chief Executive, while assistant director roles could fall from 21 to as few as 12.
Some non-leadership council staff have told Penrith Town News that the ongoing changes and uncertainty are creating what they describe as an increasingly difficult working environment, with some employees now considering taking voluntary redundancy or early retirement as part of the council’s wider cost-cutting programme.
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