Cambridgeshire County Council outlines £120m cuts over five years

Cambridgeshire County Council is facing cuts of £120m over the next five years

Public services in Cambridgeshire are facing cuts of £120m over the next five years.

Cambridgeshire County Council has said the cuts are needed because the authority will be getting less money from central government.

The biggest reduction is expected to fall on the council's care budget, which might lose around £10m.

The proposals will be finalised at next year's full county council budget meeting.

Other suggestions to save money include:

• Removing funding for school crossing patrols, with local people to take on responsibility, which would save £171k

• Scrapping statutory concessionary bus fares to save £125k

• Replacing rising bollards with CCTV in Cambridge which would save £50k

• Ending the mobile library service, saving £160k

Councillor Steve Count, leader of the council, said they had to be "honest" with the people of Cambridgeshire

Conservative councillor Steve Count, leader of the authority, said the cuts will inevitably impact on residents.

"We are at the point where I think it is only fair to be honest with the people of Cambridgeshire.

"The simple fact is that it is starting to hit at the front and that must inevitably include vulnerable people.

"We don't believe that we are putting people directly at risk, but what we are forced to do is actually take more risks in the way that we deliver our services," he said.

Lewis Herbert, the Labour leader of Cambridge City Council, which shares many of the county council's services, said it also had its own cuts to make and could not afford "to pick up the tab".

"Do people want adult care, child care, health services, roads funding, schools funding? They do and what's happening is the government is pushing it too hard.

"So give local authorities the choice, don't stop local authorities raising council tax. Really the issue is down in Westminster, not in Cambridge," he said.