The savings package was included in a 2025/26 budget update report which was agreed at a full council meeting on Thursday 23 January 2025.

While the local authority is expected to receive more money from the Scottish Government for the next year, the council is also anticipating additional financial pressures, such as increased employer National Insurance contributions, inflation, and additional demand for services.

The savings include the loss of 5.9 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs and early release of 6.9 FTE posts which are all being taken through a mixture of early retirement and voluntary redundancy and have been agreed in close consultation with affected staff and trade unions.

It had previously been agreed that the council would use £2.8 million of reserves to help reduce the level of savings in the next financial year.

The council budget, Council Tax rate and the use of reserves will be decided at a special meeting of the council on 6 March 2025.

Councillor Robert Moran, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “While the financial outlook is better than we anticipated, there are still huge financial pressures facing not just this council but all local authorities and the public sector generally and unless we receive more money on a sustained basis from the Scottish Government budget we have no other choice but to find ways to fulfil our legal obligation to set balanced council budgets.

“We are, of course, extremely sad to be losing a number of staff from a variety of services but it’s important to stress that there are no compulsory redundancies being made and that these posts are being shed through a combination of early retirement or voluntary redundancy and were agreed with affected members of staff and trade unions.

“I would like to thank the staff who are leaving us for their service and wish them all the very best for the future.” 

The budget update is based on an assumed Council Tax increase of 7% next year but no final decision will be made until the special budget meeting scheduled for 6 March 2025.