The stark financial landscape at County Hall has been put out for Prestonians to view.
AdvertisementLancashire County Council are consulting on their proposed budget for the next three years where they will need to cut their spending by £315 million.
Preston is likely to see a dramatic change in the level of services it sees provided by the county council.
County councillor David Borrow, deputy leader of the council, said: “Cuts imposed by central government and rising demand for many essential services mean that we have to find an unprecedented level of savings.
“By April 2018 we have to reduce the council’s budget by £315 million. This is a very difficult task, given that since 2010 we have already delivered or approved £532 million of savings.
“It is clear that we have to take radical action to achieve those savings. We can do some of that by introducing more intelligent and efficient ways of working. However, it is also clear that we will have to deliver some services in a different way and stop providing some services altogether.
“We are responsible for supporting the most vulnerable people in the county and will do all we can to ensure that they are protected. We are also committed to spending fairly, according to need. But in order to develop our formal budget proposals we really need the people of Lancashire to tell us what is important to them.”
Every council service is to be affected by cost-saving measures, with social care likely to take the brunt of the cuts.
£62.9 million is expected to be slashed from adult and social care across the county by 2018.
Waste management has to take £20 million out of its budget by the same timeframe, and £14.6m less will be spent on public health and wellbeing.
Bus and rail travel is likely to be affected as £8.93 million disappears, and the roads network will be £3.3m worse off.
The county council is currently consulting on its budget proposals.
A budget calculator has been set up to show taxpayers how to set the budget and you can view the full documents on the county council website.
What do you think of the county council’s proposals? Let us know in the comments below