Gloucestershire council to save £120m over four years

Gloucestershire County Council has said it has to make £120m worth of savings, including substantial job losses, over the next four years.

The authority said it was due to cuts in government funding and an increase on demands for core services.

Residents are being urged to take part in a consultation exercise which could influence where the axe will fall.

A budget simulator website called Meet the Challenge has been set up to help people make decisions.

A series of roadshows is also being staged across the county.

Affordable service

Council leader Mark Hawthorne said it was too early to say how many jobs would be lost, but said every department would be affected.

"[It has been said], people expect more from government than they do from God and that needs to be redressed," he said.

"We need to get to a position where we have a public sector we can afford, not just in the good times, but in the bad times as well."

The authority has already been making cuts after being told earlier this year to make £6.5m in savings as part of the government's bid to reduce the UK deficit.

The first wave included cuts to some road projects and children's services.

Last week, the council announced an increase in car parking charges and the price of hot meals delivered to people's homes.