Extra cuts of £80m on way at Walsall Council

The town hall is facing a reduction of £16.5m in funding from the Government for next year alone, leaving a black hole of £20m in its budget.

With further cuts from Westminster likely, council chiefs are now preparing for the worst as they look to make huge savings across the board. The cash-strapped authority has already seen £61m in government funding slashed since 2010.

Work is now underway to see where the axe will fall which could once again see services and jobs under threat.

Deputy leader Adrian Andrew said the council faced an 'enormous' task but was committed to consulting Walsall's 250,000 residents over its spending priorities.

He told councillors: "Local government is facing the brunt of cuts and my view is that it is disproportionate.

"We are being expected to deliver services at a greater rate while being heaped with more responsibilities.

"We are focused on delivering what we can against a backdrop of further cuts in national government grants.

"It is very important to get a start on having these discussions with 250,000 Walsall residents now who live in the borough.

"We need to inform and involve them so they can see the enormity of the issue they and us are facing. We have a tremendous amount of work to do to cope with the tremendous number of changes we are going to have to make."

The council will launch a public consultation this summer with bosses looking at where cuts and savings can be made.

Cabinet papers reveal the impact could be made worse by changes to the welfare system brought in by the government.

The council has had to shed more than 100 jobs as it battles to meet government cuts and deliver a balanced budget. Council leader Mike Bird has in the past accused the government of making councils do its 'dirty work'.

£80m cuts 'will strip borough to the bone' - See today's Express & Star