Braintree Council insists jobs and major frontline services are safe after it successfully devised plans for £1.5million in savings.

In August, the council announced it needed to make further cuts to close estimated £750,000 shortfalls in 2015/16 and 2016/17 following an estimated 15 per cent reduction in central government funding.

At the time, chief executive Nicola Beach confessed as many as ten jobs could be lost, but said she hoped that could be achieved by not replacing people set to retire.

The council has now confirmed that internal savings, such as budget reductions and procurement exercises, as well as management restructures, post re-gradings and cuts to some employees’ hours, mean jobs and services are safe.

External savings, which the council admits will have some impact on residents, will be discussed at a cabinet meeting next month.

Among the changes could be increased car parking, allotment and community transport charges.