Spending fall of £2.7m backed by Worcester councillors

A budget which will see spending next year fall from £13.6m to £10.9m has been approved by Worcester councillors.

Leader of the Conservative-controlled city council Simon Geraghty said it had tried to protect "wherever possible frontline public services".

Council tax and parking charges in the city will be frozen for the next year.

Roger Berry, Labour councillor, described claims frontline services were being protected while overheads were being cut as "cloud cuckoo land".

'Better efficiency'

Mr Geraghty said people may see slightly less fancy bedding plants on roundabouts and crematorium fees are to go up by 4%.

He added: "We've tried to focus our reductions on better efficiency, reforming the way we deliver services, extra income generation, but vitally, protecting wherever possible frontline public services."

Mr Berry said the Conservatives were "more interested in cutting services".

He added: "Today we are losing four chief officers. There are 10 members of staff, further members of staff, who've lost their jobs...

"A byword for efficiency is cuts and that's what we've seen today."

Sue Askin, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group in Worcester, said: "I don't think the city council had much choice.

"As a whole I think we're doing the best we can in terms of efficiencies and trying to maintain the services to the best of our ability."