The cuts that will shape our city's future

The Labour administration running Brighton and Hove City Council has set out its plans for significant cuts to vital services across the local authority in the next four years.

Cllr Warren Morgan, leader of the council admitted that by 2020, we could be looking at a very different local authority. A 'leaner' authority, that provides only the services it has a statutory duty to provide.

The 'painful' decisions, he said, is in response to cuts to local government funding, increasing need for services, and rising costs.

The powerful policy and resources committee was set to discuss the draft budget last night (Thursday), which laid out four years of cuts and savings - there is a £68m funding gap from now until 2020, and Cllr Morgan has previously said the council must save around £25 million a year. The Green group has said it won't support the cuts, and the Conservatives said it doesn't go far enough.

Unions have joined up to protest against the cuts, amid a projected 540 job losses set out in the budget.

Now, we begin a long period of consultation, where residents can have their say on the cuts. The draft budget will be discussed by all councillors at the full council meeting on December 18, before going back to policy and resources, and then the full council in February, when a final decision will be made.

For more on the budget, and to take part in the consultation, visit: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/bhbudget