JOBS GO, BUT PLANET SAVED

26-11-2009

Financially-stricken Birmingham Council is in the process of shedding more than 300 posts by the end of the financial year - but taxpayers will be delighted to know that it’s still got cash available to save the planet.

The city is about to appoint its first (wait for it) … Climate Change Adaptation and Green Infrastructure Manager (phew!) … on a salary of around £40,000.

Citizens will be relieved that the post was recently approved by the Finance Scrutiny and Overview Panel at the GR6 scale – especially as so many front line jobs will be deemed surplus to requirements over the next few months.

No doubt deputy leader Paul Tilsley and his delegation will be keen to trumpet this pioneering, environmentally friendly role at the Eurocities 2009 event tomorrow.

The Council will sign a Green Digital Charter there which, according to the Press Office, “will outline how information and communication technologies can be a part of the global warming solution.”

Measures include a pledge to support the “dematerialisation” of processes so that “new services such as teleworking and virtual meetings are used wherever possible to replace the need for travel.”

Unfortunately, the agreement comes too late to prevent Tilsley and his chums jetting off to Friday’s jolly in Stockholm.

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