COUNCIL chiefs in Kirklees have wielded the axe, cutting £7.1 million off this year’s budget.
Kirklees Council has been planning for cuts and job losses since last year but needs to make immediate savings in the current financial year.
The council’s budget will be slashed by 25 per cent over the next four years and 1,500 jobs will go.
While the council was making carefully planned reductions, urgent action was needed due to a funding cut from the coalition Government.
The savings approved by the Cabinet this week will affect the Children and Young People Service (£2.66m), Environment and Public Protection (£4.1m) and Well Being and Communities (£0.33m).
Council leader Mehboob Khan said: “All local authorities are facing massive challenges and there is no escaping the fact that difficult decisions will need to be made.
“In Kirklees we stayed ahead of the game by planning for change early – which means there will no crisis cuts further down the line - but the new Conservative-led Government have made the situation even tougher.
“Their recent emergency budget made it clear that the impact will be deeper and quicker than originally anticipated, so we have no choice but to amend our spending plans in the current financial year,” he said.
“The Government cuts are mainly linked to Area Based Grant. We are looking at different ways to absorb this in the services involved but it is clear that cuts from Environment and Public Protection will lead to fewer road safety initiatives.
“The council’s own efficiencies programme is on-going and this balances the need to make major savings with the need to maintain a high standard of services.
“We are taking a responsible approach throughout this difficult process. The council has a strong sense of direction and the protection of frontline services is very much a priority.”