THE cost-of-living crisis may mean Local Councils struggle to retain their skilled staff – a meeting has heard.

Council bosses from across West Yorkshire heard how, with day-to-day costs spiraling, Council staff may look to make the switch from the public sector to the much better paid private sector.

One Council Leader said much more needs to be done to sell the importance of local government jobs.

At a meeting of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Finance, Resources and Corporate Committee last week, members discussed the current financial situation and its impact on local Government.

They heard that high inflation would affect the Combined Authority for years to come, and will likely lead to the cost of many planned infrastructure projects ballooning.

Council to look for outside help to meet 'challenging' timescales for major city schemes

A report looking into rising costs and inflation on planned WYCA schemes is currently being developed – members heard.

The meeting was also told that the current situation could impact staffing.

With local authorities and the public sector unable to match the wages offered by the private sector, there could be a brain drain as skilled staff look to improve their finances by moving to better paid jobs.

When asked how the authority can retain the best people for the job, Ben Still, managing director of the Authority, said: “We take this issue very seriously and we’re still wrestling with the best ways forward.

“We are losing people to the private sector, and that means we consequently have to get in people from outside bodies to help with projects.

“These companies often send us back the same people at a much higher cost.”

Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe said although the private sector can be difficult to beat when it came to wages, public sector jobs and Council work had the potential to change lives. She said: “The private sector can out price local government and other public services.

“As a country we need to value local government more – these people are needed to keep the country going and power regeneration.

“We need to champion the roles and staff we have much more. We need to make those people feel like heroes.

“In these jobs you can create something that is going to last for a hundred years.

“It is a great achievement, and it is about selling these roles to people. We can’t compete with salary, so we have to make sure we compete with job satisfaction.”