Warning as council cuts soar to £157m

BOSSES at Derbyshire County Council say they are in "shock" after new information indicated their cuts target will soar to £157 million.

Labour took charge of the authority in May, believing it would have to save £127 million by 2017-18.

But further cuts passed down by the Government means the council is now expecting that figure to rise by another £30 million.

The increase is ten times higher than anticipated by the authority when Chancellor George Osborne delivered his spending review at the end of June.

It will lead to hundreds more job losses and services being cut or axed.

A statement released by the authority described the news as a "shock".

Meanwhile, leader Anne Western said the potential changes to the council's funding, outlined by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, were "grossly unfair" and "extremely challenging".

She said: "We're already facing a massive £127 million cut to our budget. But the latest news to come from Mr Pickles' department is that it will increase to £157 million.

"It looks virtually impossible now to manage that scale of cut without there being some significant loss of services.

"We will do the very best we can to minimise the damage and pain to people."

Mrs Western hit out at the minister over the cuts. She said: "Mr Pickles and his Coalition Government are placing an impossible burden on councils. By 2015, council budgets will have been cut by a third. It is grossly unfair when Whitehall departments have cut just 12% from their spending."

Mrs Western said she had written to all Derbyshire councils calling on them to join together in a bid to secure a fairer deal for Derbyshire.

She said: "Local people rely on our services. We provide a trusted and vital lifeline for thousands of vulnerable people in their own homes. The Coalition Government is making it almost impossible for councils to deliver even a basic level of service – important services that our communities rely on.

"Together we stand a better chance of being listened to. But a budget hole of this size will mean the end of some services – there's no way to avoid them. But we will consult with people throughout so they have the chance to help shape what we do."