Some streetlights will not be turned on to save money

Kay Mason Billig, said closing recycling centres one day a week and turning on fewer streetlights would make savings

Some streetlights would not be switched on and recycling centres would close one day a week to plug a financial black hole, a council leader said.

Kay Mason Billig, leader of Norfolk County Council, told a cabinet meeting on Monday, that the authority needed to make £41.5m of savings this financial year.

As part of this, all recycling centres across Norfolk would close on a Wednesday - the least busiest day of the week - to save an estimated £200,000 per year and 2pc of streetlights would not be turned on in areas where it was deemed safe.

She said: "We have seen 19 councils go to the wall... we want to make sure we are not one of the next."

Thirteen recycling centres were currently open seven days a week in the region.

Ms Mason Billig said this change was something neighbouring authorities in Suffolk and Lincolnshire had already made.

Later this year a booking system, which has already been approved by the council, would be launched at recycling centres to help save money.

'Some serious reforms'

Other measures included introducing pre-booked appointments at Norfolk Record Office - which was estimated to save £57,000 - and turning off about two per cent of streetlights.

That would save £200,000 and reduce the council’s carbon emissions by an estimated 76 tonnes each year.

Ms Mason Billig told the meeting "some serious reforms" were needed and the authority was looking at how it could be more efficient.

It was also looking at streamlining services "that won't impact on people too much".

"We really have to look at every single part of our budget," she added.