Westminster City Council is cutting 520 of its 3,720 posts, mostly managers, to save £29m. Those affected leave between April and December 2027.
Westminster City Council is cutting 520 jobs. That is about one post in seven across a workforce of 3,720.
Staff were told at a meeting at City Hall on Tuesday led by the chief executive, Stuart Love. The council says most of the cuts fall on managers, including senior posts, rather than front-line staff. (Westminster City Council)
The quick answer
- How many: 520 roles out of 3,720, about 14%.
- Which jobs: mostly managerial grades, including senior posts. The council says front-line posts are not the focus.
- When: consultation with staff starts now. Those affected are due to leave between April and December 2027.
- Why: the job cuts save £29m over the coming year. The council puts its total funding gap at £160m by 2029.
What the council announced
The cuts were set out in a council news release published on 20 October. It says:
- 520 roles are to be made redundant
- the highest share of cuts comes from management bands, including senior posts
- the job cuts will save £29m over the coming year
- a further £16m will come from changing how the council leases or rents buildings, and from savings on contracts
- consultation with affected staff follows now, with leaving dates from April to December 2027
Together that is £45m. The council’s own figure for the gap it has to close is £160m by 2029, so these measures cover a little over a quarter of it.
What the council said
Cllr Paul Fisher, Cabinet Member for Value for Money and Finance, said the announcement was “difficult”.
“The focus for these reductions is on management roles and not front-line posts,” he said. “Westminster needs to protect taxpayer money, become leaner and look to more commercial opportunities to generate revenue.”
He said the council would make more use of technology, including AI. “There are inevitably going to be further significant savings ahead,” he added.
What it means for you
The council says the cuts are aimed at managers, not the people who deliver services. It has not yet said which departments lose which posts. It expects to publish more detail on departmental savings in an update next month.
Your council tax is likely to go up. The council says a rise for 2027/28 is “inevitable”, though no rate has been decided. A Band D home pays £1,048 this year. Our budget gap story shows what the council’s own illustration of a doubled council share would mean, and how it compares with Camden and Brent. You can check your band on our council tax bands page.
Two other decisions are open now:
- Council Tax Support: the council is consulting until Thursday 12 November on making working-age claimants pay 10% to 30% of their bill. See our Council Tax Support story.
- The case to ministers: Cllr Fisher is due to approve a formal request to the Government to rethink the grant cut on Thursday 22 October. See our Fair Funding submission story.
If you get help from the council, the discounts and reductions page sets out what you may already be entitled to.
Why the money has run short
The council blames the Government’s funding changes. In its release it says the £160m gap “stems directly” from what it calls the Fairer Funding programme.
Its submission to ministers says the Fair Funding Review cuts its Government grant by 46%, about £100m. Rising costs, demand and inflation make up the rest of the £160m. (Cabinet Member report VFM26-23)
Earlier this year the council ran a budget survey asking residents which services they most wanted to protect. Final budget decisions for 2027/28 are due in spring 2027.
Have your say