Greens claim to have found a solution to reverse youth cuts

This comes ahead of next Thursday’s (February 23) Budget Council, when a proposed 80 per cent cut to a £450,000 pot that supports 11 youth charities in the city could be finalised.

The party cannot reveal its amendment plans until early next week – but councillors have called on other parties to work with them on the plans.

Cllr Ollie Sykes, Green finance spokesman, said: “Years of Conservative Government policy have damaged council finances up and down the country and the local Labour council is planning to axe essential services to deal with this.

“Although we cannot rescue their budget, our work has identified enough funding to reverse cuts planned for many of the vital services in our city.

“Our focused budget work around this has identified a potential £2 million and looking at the budget in this way does not rob from one service to pay for another.

“We are encouraging the council to up their game and support our budget approach. With the detail out in the coming days, we ask all parties to work with us to protect services and push the council to look at this budget differently.

“Vulnerable people, such as the young and the elderly, should not be made to bear the brunt of council cuts handed down by a ruthless Tory Government.”