SENIOR managers at Swindon Council will have more duties in the future after an organisational shake-up.

The project, called Stronger Together, aims to save £1.2m in management costs by April 2013 and create a more efficient structure.

A special committee will be asked on Monday, March 19 to approve the 23 new posts and appointments for the service heads – known as tier two – which will officially come in on April 1.

The staff were appointed internally following interviews by councillors on the chief officers’ appointments sub-committee, which had already chosen their immediate bosses – the directors, known as tier one.

Chief executive Gavin Jones said the staff would inevitably have more responsibilities because roles have been merged to save money, avoid duplication and provide a more joined-up approach.

He said: “We’re moving away from the old fashioned local government silo organisation to one that’s much better, with joined-up services and that’s why they will have broader roles.

“They have got to be broader to join it up for people and they’ve got to be broader because we can’t afford the same level of management we had in the past.”

Some of the managers have already moved into their new jobs, some are still focusing on their old ones, and some are in the transition process.

Some staff at tier two are seeing a dramatic shift in roles. For example, Ian Bickerton, the director of access and provision for children services, has been appointed the new head of leisure, libraries, culture and traded services.

The tier two posts were open to applications across the organisation and some people on lower pay grades were appointed, so being in tier two now reflects who staff report to, rather than their salary.

Council leader Rod Bluh said the new posts and those who filled them were chosen to support the three pillars of Stronger Together: Commissioning and strategy, delivery, and local engagement.

He said: “In many cases people have had extra things added.

“If they were in a particular role and they have been successful in a new role, they will probably find they have additional duties because it’s less people.”

The council has yet to finalise terms and conditions for the new appointments, including salaries.