A major BBC survey of local governments in the UK has revealed that Swindon Council plans to reduce its workforce by an estimated 279 employees in the next three to five years.

The figure, based on current predictions, would see the number of full time employees at the council fall from 2,679 to 2,400.

The survey, which was completed by 49 councils, including Swindon and Wiltshire Council, revealed that at least 25,000 jobs in councils in England would be under threat in the next three to five years.

The results also show that more than 70 per cent of councils predict that they will have to cut spending by between five per cent and 20 per cent in the same period.

The completed survey from Swindon Council’s chief executive’s office predicts a smaller cut in spending of between zero to five per cent in the next three to five years.

It also revealed that the capital budget for the town has fallen by 40.6 per cent, whereas the revenue budget has risen by 1.5 per cent.

The council also said the areas most vulnerable to the squeeze on spending were likely to be adult social services, highways, planning and the arts.

Speaking about the survey, Tony Travers, director of the Greater London group at the London School of Economics, said: “The scale of job reductions suggests tens of thousands of posts are likely to be lost. It seems there will be a sharp cut in council jobs in 2010 and for some years after. Nothing like this has happened for a generation.

“To minimise the impacts on the public would require massive efficiencies in all service, higher charges for many and sharing back-office staff with other public bodies.”

When asked to outline how are planning to save money in the way the provide services, Swindon Council said: “The council is currently undergoing a major project named New Ways Of Working which allows staff to work more flexibly from different locations.

“This facilitates better use of property assets in terms of occupancy levels and allows the council to reduce property costs.

“We also have a project to maximise income, which involves generating sponsorship and marketing income and new charges for services.

“The Adult Social Care Transformation Programme orientates around personalised care but changes the focus away from high cost care.”

The same survey also revealed Wiltshire Council could lose up to 600 jobs over the next five years. It said most of the posts would be lost through finding better ways of working and natural wastage.