LETCHWORTH Garden City Heritage Foundation may have to make staff redundancies to ensure it can continue to fulfil its charitable role.

The Heritage Foundation, which is the largest landlord in the town, currently employs 162 staff but some jobs will go as part of a series of cost-cutting measures.

Now based at Icknield Way after moving from its headquarters at The Spirella Building earlier this month, the organisation uses income generated from its 5,500 acre estate to fund its charitable commitments - which include Ernest Gardiner Day Hospital, a shopmobility and minibus service and Garden City Greenway.

Last year charitable distributions totalled �3.8m.

Income is also used to reinvest in its extensive property portfolio spanning a wide-range of offices, industrial units and shops.

“Like many organisations in the current economic climate, we are reviewing our business to ensure we are operating as efficiently as possible,” said the Heritage Foundation’s chief executive John Lewis.

“The first stage is a review into reducing our operational costs. The results of this are being reported to our board in April.

“Ultimately, the review is to ensure that we continue to deliver our charitable commitments to the communities of Letchworth Garden City.”

Herts county councillor Keith Emsall, who is on the board of governors, added: “There’s a review of the Heritage Foundation including staffing levels so I expect there will be redundancies.”