A PUBLIC sector union has called on council chiefs to do everything in their power to avoid more compulsory redundancies amid the latest round of spending cuts.

Darlington Borough Council is forecasting a budget gap of almost £27m by the end of the decade.

The council says almost 500 jobs have been lost since 2010, a figure Unison puts at closer to 700.

Unison said the council was relying on ‘goodwill and volunteers’ to keep popular services like the Head of Steam railway museum and Cockerton Library afloat.

In a statement, the union said: “Now even more of our members face an anxious wait to see if they will keep their job.

“We expect the council to do everything it can to ensure there are no more compulsory redundancies.

“The council now seems to be pinning its hopes on goodwill and volunteers.

“It’s one thing to wish people would not drop litter, but difficult to make it happen in reality.

"Once again Cockerton Library is under threat, now joined by Head of Steam.

“The loss of these, together with cuts to Street Scene, will do nothing to make Darlington a better place to live, work or visit.”

The council is planning to supplement its income with almost £9m from its cash reserves over the next three financial years, a move welcomed by the union.

It added: “Reserves are there for a rainy day and right now we are in the middle of a downpour.”

Unison said the estimated budget gap comes as a direct result of ‘draconian’ cuts to local government funding by the coalition.

Branch secretary Joe White added: “The Government’s austerity plan has caused nothing but misery and damage.”