Jobs axe to fall in cutbacks at Shugborough Hall
Shugborough Hall is to axe half of its front-line staff and close an extra day a week in a series of cost-cutting moves announced today.
Shocked workers were yesterday called into a meeting by Staffordshire County Council to hear the full extent of the cuts, which are hoped to save £148,000 of £246,000 needed in total.
Jobs will go and the estate will be closed on a Tuesday, traditionally the quietest day of the week. The season will also be shortened by nine days. Councillor Pat Corfield, cabinet member for culture and community, said it was "to secure the long-term future of Shugborough".
He said the council had consulted with other tourist attractions and the National Trust, which owns the property, to work out the best ways to save money and run it.
"We are saddened to have to take certain steps," he said. "But Shugborough is so precious to us that we want to maintain and protect it for years to come."
A staff re-structuring will see the number of workers drop from 66 to 32 in the visitor service sector. A four-week consultation period where employees can give feedback has begun and will end on November 30. All of the changes will come into force on March 22, 2013.
Last year, it emerged there was a £1.4 million deficit in 2010 due to increasing operational costs. A worker, who wanted to remain anonymous, said everyone was very shocked aat the number of jobs going.
