Sandwell Council cutting 520 jobs

Cuts totalling £31 million that will see the loss of 520 jobs at Sandwell Council have been approved.

The 2011/12 budget was passed at a meeting last night, approving cuts of £10m across the authority.

The cuts will be made in education and children's services with a further £10m from adult and community services.

Regeneration projects for the borough will be slashed by £6m while corporate services will miss out on £4.5m. Defending the budget, Councillor Steve Eling, the borough's finance chief, said: "This year is the biggest assault on local Government finances since Thatcher and the Poll Tax.

"But no libraries or community facilities will be closed and we have maintained our support for the voluntary sector."

Councillor Ray Nock, leader of the opposition Conservative group, opposed the budget, saying £8m of cuts from front line services could have been achieved through savings elsewhere.

He proposed an extra £400,000 saving by concentrating council meetings at the Freeth Street hub and West Bromwich Town Hall, instead of external conference venues costing the taxpayer £446,054 last year.

Council leader Councillor Darren Cooper said he had already frozen allowances for the next two years and highlighted the council's savings over the last four years.

There were no protests from members of the public.