Cardiff council planning £32m cuts in 2015/16

A series of public consultations will be held if councillors approve the plans on Thursday

Wales' largest council is planning to cut £32m from its budget in 2015/16.

Cardiff council is trying to plug a £48m shortfall which could see job losses, cuts to leisure and park services and an end to funding for the New Year Calennig celebration.

Health and social care faces being hit hardest with the council looking to trim £7.9m from this department.

On top of the cuts, the council is trying to make £2m in efficiency savings and raise an additional £13m.

This could be through council tax going up by 5%, bringing in £5.2m, and £5m savings made on employee costs.

Unison regional organiser Steve Belcher said he expected people to be "furious" at the extent of the cuts and the "devastating impact they will have on their communities".

Redundancies

The council's cabinet will meet on 20 November and if they approve the plans, they will go out to public consultation.

Street lights across the city could be dimmed - 24,000 over three years - in a bid to cut the council's electricity bill.

A report to be considered says there is a "backdrop of significant financial challenges".

It also says that "it remains likely that there will be redundancies within the council's workforce".

While the exact number of potential redundancies is not know at present, the report says it is likely to be in excess of 20.

Possible savings

• Library service restructure (£283,000 savings)

• Youth service, including charging for Duke of Edinburgh (£1,250,000)

• Catering - increasing school meals by 20p in 2015 then a further 10p in 2017 (£300,000)

• Cutting 13 posts in parks and leisure (£329,000)

• Permanently closing public toilets which are currently closed temporarily (£53,000)

• Increased burial and cremation fees (£200,000)

• Cuts and alterations to bus services (£236,000)

• Smaller wheelie bins or less frequent collections (£267,000)