Norfolk County Council plans £10m of cuts to services
Norfolk County Council is planning £10m of cuts to public services.
The authority said it had little room for manoeuvre and no time to consult with the public over the plans. It comes after the coalition government's decision to make £6.2bn of spending cuts - £405m of which will be passed on to local government. The GMB union said children's services, transport and health schemes, road safety and crime programmes at Norfolk County Council would all be hit. Job losses forecast Norfolk County Council's Conservative leader Daniel Cox said the sudden withdrawal of more than £10m in grants had left the council with very little choice. The details are outlined in a report to the authority's cabinet on Monday. Mr Cox said: "We could not have anticipated the possibility of in-year cuts when we set our budget in February. "Although given the dire state of the country's finances it is not surprising the coalition government felt compelled to withdraw some previously promised funding." "These cuts are painful. I wish we did not have to make them, but we do." Mr Cox said the cuts came on top of £13m savings already needed to balance the remaining budget. 'Home to roost' Unions have been warned that 90 jobs could be lost. The Connexions career service will face a 50% cut in its funding. Grants worth £316,500 awarded via the Norfolk Youth Fund and £434,000 for school holiday activities for young people will be withdrawn. The council will also consider the deferral of about 30 safety schemes and public transport improvements. Shaun Graham, the GMB union's senior officer in East Anglia, said: "This document shows how the Tory-Liberal billions in cuts are going to impact on services and facilities for the people of Norfolk. "The chickens from the election of the Tory-Liberal Government are coming home to roost for the Norfolk electorate."