Liverpool proposes cutting Mathew Street Festival

Liverpool needs to make savings of £102m over the next three years

Liverpool's Mathew Street and River Festivals could be cut and weekly bin collections ended, under cost cutting proposals presented to councillors.

The ceasing of all funding to arts and culture organisations, closing development company Liverpool Vision and scrapping free school milk are also being considered.

The council needs to save £102m over the next three years.

The proposals are from suggestions put forward by council officers.

'No salami slicing'

Joe Anderson, leader of Labour controlled Liverpool City Council, said: "It is important to stress that these are only options for discussion which have been put forward for us to look at.

"Over the next month or so we will be having some challenging discussions in order to whittle them down to £50m of options.

"I know people will be upset by some of the things that we are having to contemplate, but I can promise them that we will do all we can to avoid some of the more unpalatable options.

"But people should be under no illusion that this is not going to be without pain, and I know that people are going to be extremely upset when they start to realise how it will impact on services.

"Rather than salami slicing services each year to make the cuts, we want to take a longer term view which enables us to look ahead and envisage where we will be in 2015."

Other suggestions include almost doubling the charge for allotments, losing Green Flag status for city parks, ending 5 November firework displays and charging for the Bulky Bob household collection service.

The council hopes to find more than 50% of the savings target through increased efficiencies and improving income.

Savings of £91m have already been made from the council's budget for 2011/12.