‘NO-ONE will be immune’ from the wide sweeping dramatic cuts to be made by Dorset County Council.

That is the powerful warning by council leader Spencer Flower in an exclusive interview with the Daily Echo.

It comes after the shocking news that the county council must save a dramatic £48million over the next three years.

Cllr Flower said that the council needs to ‘squeeze every penny that they can and that he and the council chiefs have ‘absolute responsibility’ to find this money.

“We have to fundamentally change the way we do things,” he said.

“I will do everything in my power to change process, change the layers of bureaucracy and change the way things have always been done before any frontline services are altered.”

In the most stark and fervent language to date, Cllr Flower declared: “I have confidence that we will find these savings.

“It will be our biggest challenge yet but we have got the time to get it right and we will.”

“But just to make it clear this is the most radical and reforming change plan this council has ever experienced and is ever likely to experience again.”

To find out more about Spencer Flower click here

In a hard-hitting meeting three weeks ago, Cllr Flower announced that the local authority, who had already identified £18m in savings, must find an additional £30m by 2016/17.

He issued a strong warning to council officers that their ideas were not ‘brave enough’ and asked them to go back to the drawing board to find a further £30million in savings.

Now, three weeks later an agenda published ahead of the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday identifies £42.4m of savings – which is 90per cent of the £47million required.

Cllr Flower said: “There is still a lot of bureaucracy in council processes and I plan to apply business principles to get the best practice out if the organisation.”

He added: “I would be dishonest if I didn’t say that this could involve jobs being lost - our main cost is payroll and there will be no ‘no go’ areas.”

There is also a planned restructure of the Chief Executive’s office and the corporate services directorate.

The Forward Together Transformation programme plans to transform the council into a ‘radical and reforming organisation’ which will have significantly reduced financial services.

As part of the plan, councillors, council staff and communities are being asked to come together to come up with ways of supporting council services in the future..

Vast savings to be made in Adult and Community services – with at least £12.2million in savings to be made in this one department.

He said that years over ‘over demand’ has put strain on the department and it goes over budget every year due to the fact that it is a demand led service.

He said: “Over 50 per cent of our budget is spent on four per cent of the county’s population in adult social care and that is looking to increase.”

Cllr Flower added that voluntary organisations and support agencies will be consulted in the restructure to increase working together.

A total of £14.6million savings will be made as part of the Whole authority Operating Strategy – which is described as having ‘far reaching’ projects including restructure.

Although Cllr Flower admits the finer detail of these savings has not yet been drawn up he pledged that it will be found.

He said: “I haven’t got the detail at this point but we will be able to tell the public about this in a few months.”

At the moment many of the Dorset councils are sharing services such as the Dorset Waste Partnership and other schemes.

Cllr Flower said this is crucial for the future: “There is really a partnership mood in Dorset and I am very keen on that – why shouldn’t we all work together?”

The cabinet will meet on Wednesday to agree this report.

What departments will be affected?

Childrens’ Services: £2.2million Adult & Community Services: At least £12.2m Public health: £500,000 Environment: £5.5m Panel: How will Dorset look in 10 years?

When asked how Dorset will look in ten years Cllr Spencer said: “in ten years local government will look radically different and in Dorset it will be quite a departure from the past.

“During the next three years I think people will see a change in what the council can deliver which will be quite a departure from the past.”

He added that he would be surprised if in ten years time anyone said that there was any unnecessary process or staff levels in the council.

How will Dorset look in 10 years?

When asked how Dorset will look in ten years Cllr Spencer said: “in ten years local government will look radically different and in Dorset it will be quite a departure from the past.

“During the next three years I think people will see a change in what the council can deliver which will be quite a departure from the past.”

He added that he would be surprised if in ten years time anyone said that there was any unnecessary process or staff levels in the council.