TOP jobs at Ribble Valley Borough Council could go after councillors have ordered a full review of the management structure.

A move by the Liberal Democrats to push for an immediate review of top posts was backed by lone Labour member Bert Jones and, despite opposition from the Conservatives, was put through on a vote of 18-17.

Liberal Democrat leader Coun Howel Jones requested the review in an effort to make savings.

Liberal Democrat councillors had pointed out that the costs for items such as landfill tax and revenue from recycling and car parking fees were unknown.

If less money were generated than was expected, the council would find itself in severe financial difficulties again.

Around 12 jobs are already set to go in various departments but some members agreed with Labour's Bert Jones when he said at last week's meeting of the full council that it should be the chiefs and not the indians coming under review.

In his budget speech, council leader Chris Holtom told members that this had proved to be the most difficult budget that the council had had to face in 23 years but that it was still intended to spend £800,000 on projects such as improvement grants and improvements to council houses.

However the leader of the opposition Howel Jones described cuts in the local authority budgets from central government as a "catastrophic catalogue of cuts".

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