Just seven months after it was created Wiltshire Council is embarking on a reorganisation that will result in redundancies.

The highest profile senior managers at risk of losing their jobs are corporate directors George Batten and Mark Boden, as their departments are to be merged.

Mr Batten is corporate director of transport, environment and leisure while Mr Boden is corporate director of economic development, planning and housing.

The Conservative-run council has decided to create one new department to incorporate most of the functions of the two departments. Mr Batten and Mr Boden will have to apply for the post of corporate director of the new department. The restructuring will result in a small number of other redundancies and will save £1m.

Cllr Jane Scott, leader of Wiltshire Council, said the restructuring was not being done just to save money. She said: “The reason for putting these two directorates together is that they deal with services to do with the street scene, such as grass cutting, pavement repairs, pot holes, parking and it would be better to have them in one department.”

Before the merger Mr Batten worked at Wiltshire County Council for 21 years and was director of environmental services while Mr Boden had been chief executive of Kennet District Council for eight years.

Meanwhile, Wiltshire Council is to begin talks with unions and staff to come up with a project to make the terms of employment of people previously employed by the five different councils match up.

l The council’s Cabinet was told on Tuesday that the projected overspend of £3.8m has been cut to £2.2m and that the council would end the financial year with a balanced budget.