LEISURE centres, cultural events and regeneration projects in Liverpool will see their funding slashed by half in the next three years as the city council struggles to find £156m of savings imposed by George Osbourne.
And essential services that the council must legally provide - such as adults and children’s social care, environmental health and bin collection - have been told to find savings of up to 25pc.
Mayor Joe Anderson announced where the axe would fall today, describing the moves as “unpalatable”.
'Certainty'
The city says it faces its biggest budget challenge to date, following £173m of cuts already made over the last three years. By 2016/17, the city will have seen government funding cut by 56pc, in real terms, since 2010/11.
Last month, Mayor Joe outlined his plan for dealing with the reductions – by developing a three year strategy “in order to give some certainty to residents” about how services will look in the future.
And those which the council is not legally required to provide – so-called “discretionary” services – have been asked to find budget savings of 50pc. Quite how the cuts will translate and exactly where has not been revealed.
Mayor Joe Anderson said: “This is really unpalatable... and the truth is it will impact on every service in the city.
“The stark reality is that it will mean less of absolutely everything, whether it is libraries, leisure centres, children’s centres or social care buildings.”
Joe Anderson But Mayor Anderson said he is committed to support growth and innovation in the city, to ensure Liverpool’s future remains bright and sustainable.
He added: “Despite the challenges, it is vital we bear in mind there are still an awful lot of good things happening in the city - whether it’s the International Festival for Business or the 1,000 new private sector jobs we’ve helped attract recently through firms such as H2 Energy, BAC Mono, BT and Amey.”
Details of the proposals are currently in development and are expected to be announced next month, followed by the city’s budget meeting on March 5.
