Hull council's 1,400 job cuts approved

The meeting was delayed due to hecklers

Hull City Council's plans to make £65m of savings, which include axing 1,400 jobs, have been voted through despite public heckling delaying the meeting.

Day care centres, children's centres, leisure facilities, street cleaning, highways and council marketing are among the services facing massive cuts.

However, youth projects were saved and two care homes due to be closed have won a reprieve after a public outcry.

Unison said further demonstrations are planned against job cuts.

The six-hour meeting was delayed by heckling from the public.

Music service reprieve

However, threatened youth projects including the Right And Participation Project, Bransholme-based Bumps project and the Two Wheel Centre in Chapman Street, have been thrown a lifeline after extra funding was found for schemes delivered by voluntary groups.

Hull's Music Service, based at the Albemarle Centre in Ferensway, has also been saved as well as the Youth Parliament.

Lib Dem council leader Carl Minns also backtracked on previous proposals to close three residential care homes.

Nicholson House is to remain open and Alderson resource centre will change to a short term intensive support facility, though Salinger House will close.

Councillor Minns admitted some front line services would be affected but said the situation was not as bad as people thought.

'Weakest hit hardest'

He said: "The majority of savings are coming from rationalising back office functions and reducing the number of buildings we use."

But Diana Johnson, Labour MP for Hull North, said the cuts would "hit the weakest hardest".

She said: "With the private and voluntary sectors in no position to replace the jobs and services that are being cut, and 33 people already chasing each job in Hull North, this is a blow to Hull's local economy.

"The quality of life will suffer too, from the pot-holed roads to cuts in leisure services."

Unison said the job cuts were avoidable and said further demonstrations against the plans would go ahead.