Dumfries and Galloway Council faces £50m savings target

The report advises that £51.4m is cut from the council budget by 2014

Dumfries and Galloway Council is being advised to prepare to cut more than £50m from its spending over the next three years.

A report for the local authority advises a savings target of more than £20m for the next financial year alone.

The figures could change later this year when the Scottish government finance settlement is announced.

The UK government recently unveiled plans to cut £6bn from public spending to tackle national debt.

Last month, the south west Scotland council dropped proposals to find an extra £3m of savings this year in anticipation of further reductions to come.

However, a report to the council has now recommended it sets a series of targets to decrease its spending.

It would see £51.4m cut from its budget by the year 2014.

That is an increase of more than £12m on a previous estimate given to the authority in March.

Dumfries and Galloway Council will meet to discuss the proposals later this week.