COUNTY council staff whose jobs could be lost as part of a huge transformation plan should still be able to work in it, its chief executive has said.

The county council revealed last week that it could make up to £58m savings a year as part of the Fit for the Future programme.

But up to 890 jobs might go as part of the plan and it would cost £18m to implement it.

Peter Clark said he expected many people whose jobs might be lost will be deployed elsewhere – as has happened there before.

Mr Clark said: "I don’t think there are 900 job cuts as part of this.

"First and foremost this is over three years. About 650 staff leave the council every year. About 550 join the council [every year].

"There about 650 leaving, 550 coming in. There are opportunities to change without paying redundancies. I know as a council we have a strong reputation of redeploying staff."

He said many other staff will simply leave or retire over that period.

Mr Clark was talking to councillors on the council's performance scrutiny committee yesterday.

He will leave the council next month as part of a senior management restructure.

Yvonne Rees, the current chief executive of Cherwell District Council, will be made joint chief executive of that authority and the county council.

Over recent years, the council's budget has been cut by about half.