300 more jobs face budget axe

THE latest budget proposals will see almost 300 more jobs axed from the council now “the good times have gone”.

Councillor leader Jim McMahon delivered the stark message to the full council last night as he proposed the latest budget — which will see the council lose £17.73million next year and £12.976 million in 2014.

He told the meeting: “The good times have gone. The coalition, it’s fair to say, has given local government a really good kicking.”

He said 290 jobs could be lost in the next two years as the council cuts £31million on top of the £100million cut since 2009.

But he described the latest round of cuts as “methodical”, continuing: “What we’re trying to achieve is not just cutting. We’re all here to make sure the services are maintained as much as possible. But the reality is it’s not going to get any better.”

Councillor Howard Sykes, leader of the local Lib-Dems, said more could be taken from the NHS. He also slammed the proposed introduction of a charge for removing bulky waste.

But 40 councillors agreed the budget, and though there were no objections, 14 councillors abstained.

The budget includes £1.5 million cut from IT services and £500,000 from adult social care, £854,000 from parks, £254,000 from heritage, libraries and arts, £187,000 from school crossing patrols and £84,000 from public safety.

The council is now waiting for confirmation of additional cuts that might be required by the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, to be officially disclosed a week today.