JOBS are to go at the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation with the workforce at their headquarters facing a cut of up to 20 per cent.

The Heritage Foundation’s board of management agreed last week a proposed restructure of its support centre in Icknield Way, which currently employs 80 people, and up to 16 jobs could go as a result.

A consultation period for the efficiency programme begins on May 6 and runs until September.

Staff numbers at the Foundation’s community services - which include Broadway Cinema and Standalone Farm, are not under review.

Speaking exclusively to The Comet, chief executive John Lewis said: “Our costs are growing at a greater rate than our income. We need to be more efficient in the way we work - we will look at our costs and ask can we be a bit more sensible on this or that.

“Our biggest expense is our staffing costs so we do need to make savings there. With the back office staff we can look at what we do on a day-to-day basis and see what we can do more efficiently.

“This will help reduce our operational costs in order to maintain our charitable activities for the Letchworth communities.”

The efficiency programme is the first of a three stage plan which Mr Lewis discussed exclusively with The Comet, as well as sharing his thoughts on the people of Letchworth GC and the issue of selling land.

The full interview will be published in The Comet and on our website tomorrow (Thursday).