EXTRA cash will be pumped into making York's streets safer for residents, but more jobs will go from a city council department, its leader Steve Galloway said today.

Revealing the chief executive's department's budget for the next financial year, Coun Galloway said money would be diverted from administration into new street level services, and there would be savings on the £1 million economic development budget.

A total of £100,000 will be invested in Safe City, with work to reduce the number of teenagers involved in crime being given a high-priority.

The budget could also provide cash for improving lighting, securing alleyways after dark, and extending CCTV coverage into Acomb shopping centre.

Coun Galloway said he also hoped co-ordination between the police and City of York Council could be improved by bringing a senior force liaison officer into the authority buildings as part of the Neighbourhood Pride Unit.

The cash for Safe City comes just days after it was revealed key posts at Safer York Partnership, the crime-busting body whose work has won Home Office recognition, could be lost because of cutbacks in Government and council funding.

Coun Galloway warned the Government's budget grant for York council would inevitably mean there would be job cuts from the chief's executive's department, with six members of staff expected to be axed.

"I am conscious that this will result in a period of anxiety for some staff members and I give my assurance that we will do everything that we can to redeploy those who are affected into other posts.

"Should this not be possible with everyone who wishes to stay with the council, then I would expect that we would be able to address the balance with voluntary redundancies.

Other schemes unveiled by Coun Galloway, who said the changes were unlikely to have a "major impact on customers", were systems which allowed residents access to services 24 hours a day through the internet, and a new "customer reception suite".

But he also revealed that ward committee budgets would be cut, and changes in the way the authority's vacancies were advertised would also save cash.

Six posts axed in savings shake-up

SIX posts will be lost in City of York Council's resources department as it makes savings of nearly £900,000 in next year's budget.

A total of £897,000 in savings have been made with "sound financial management" and efficiency, the authority said today.

Revealing the department's plans for the next financial year, Coun Quentin Macdonald, resources boss, said the Government grant given to the city to fund services had "done York no favours at all". The council said it had focused on savings that would have the minimum impact on services to the public, while improving quality and efficiency. A total of £224,000 has been saved because of the termination of several building and IT leases, £144,000 has been saved through the Treasury Management Team, reduced maintenances and software costs have clawed back £50,000. Tighter debt and fraud management procedures will also save thousands.

Updated: 10:15 Wednesday, January 11, 2006