Fears confirmed... Torbay needs £10m budget cuts

TORBAY's £10million in budget cuts has been confirmed.

Residents had already been warned the council is facing probably the worst service cuts in its history and the possibility of a two per cent council tax rise.

The Government announcement of its spending plans for local government has confirmed those worst fears.

Torbay will have a total of £138.5million to spend in the coming year — a fall of 2.3 per cent — which equates to £2,129 per household.

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Mayor Gordon Oliver said: "I am still analysing the figures with officers and we still have individual funding announcements which are outstanding, including the New Education Grant and the Public Health announcement.

"The scale of this challenge can't be emphasised enough. We simply cannot sustain the yearly level of cut which central government requires, and our local MPs voted for, without cutting services.

"We have to try to find ways to reduce costs and look at new ways of delivering services so we can maintain as many services as possible that Torbay residents value.

"There are certainly no easy answers in this budget process and it has, and continues to be, a painful process."

Devon will see the amount it has to spend cut by around £12 million or 2.1 per cent to £570 million — £1,625 per household.

The South Hams will see its spending curbed by 0.1 per cent to £10.6million, £248 per household, and Teignbridge by 1.1 per cent to £16.3million, £280 per household.

Devon and Cornwall police will also see its central government funding cut by 1.6 per cent. It means the force will receive a total of £184million.