Wirral Council unveils sweeping cuts – including 350 job losses - to battle £39m budget deficit

Feb 19 2013 by Lorna Hughes, Liverpool Echo

WIRRAL Council will end sponsorship of Tranmere Rovers, cut 350 jobs and raise council tax by 2% as part of its battle to balance the budget.

Cabinet members agreed a wide ranging raft of money-saving measures and cuts to services to tackle a deficit of £39m this year.

Street lighting will also be reduced, there will be no council funding for events in Wirral and schools will be asked to pay for their own crossing patrols.

The proposals – which would save £42million – will also see the closure of one of Wirral’s main day care centres for adults with learning and physical disabilities and Sylvandale care home, in Bromborough.

The maintenance of parks, beaches and bowling greens will also be reduced.

As well as job cuts all staff would be asked to take five days unpaid leave.

Furious campaigners packed into Wallasey Town Hall to protest at the cuts – with one woman breaking down in tears as she told councillors it would be impossible to care for her daughter without the day centre she attends.

Unions warned they could not rule out strike action and said the cuts were a “brutal and savage attack on frontline services”.

The council has rejected a government grant to freeze council tax because it would mean finding an extra £1.3m in savings when the grant ends in 2015/6.