More than a million pounds is to be saved by Suffolk County Council as it culls 15 of its most senior managers over the next eight months.

The list of departures includes three assistant directors and 12 other senior managers – and is expected to save the council a total of �1.15 million a year.

A spokesman for the council said the 15 senior managers – almost all of whom earn more than �55,000 a year – are expected to leave Endeavour House at Ipswich between April and October. They will be taking voluntary redundancy, the terms of which have been agreed.

The work done by those leaving the council will be reallocated to other members of staff, or will no longer be undertaken by the council.

The �1.15 million follows on from the �1.8 million that was saved when high-earners left during reorganisations last year.

And it will contribute to a major change in the number of people employed by the council that is set to be confirmed at its budget meeting next week.

Over the next financial year, the headcount at the county will fall from almost 8,000 to 4,800.

The majority of those jobs will be transferred from the county to other bodies which will carry out council functions – such as the library service – although there will be some job losses.

Council leader Mark Bee said: 'I made a commitment to the people of Suffolk that the county council would take a long hard look at senior management costs to see where we could find savings.

'It's essential that we do this before we even consider making savings on front line services. This is precisely what we've done.'