SE23 Forum

Mayor Steve Bullock, re-elected on the back of a local Labour landslide, has said cuts will be the "worst in living memory". The council has to reduce spending by £60m over three years, which is £1 out of every £4 currently spent in the borough. Understandably, bloggers have been looking at the detail.

Alongside the sad and unsurprising job losses (aren't our social workers, et al, already massively overstretched?) are proposed cutbacks everyone will be able to see. There's outcry over the proposal to close five libraries. Blackheath, Crofton Park, Grove Park, New Cross and Sydenham are the ones under threat

A handful of recommendations put forward by council officers:

- Close one of four early childhood centres out of Rushey Green, Honor Oak, Amersham and Ladywell. This, along with decreased budgets for the remaining three, could save up to £2,180,000 over three years.

- Cut the number of children social care work assistants (£140,000 over three years)

- Cut agency workers in the children's social care department (£655,000 over three years)

- Close up to five libraries and cut library staff (£830,000 over three years)

- Increase the charge for meals on wheels (£50,000 over three years)

- Stop the street litter recycling service (£168,000 over three years)

- Replace parking machines with a pay-over-the-phone system (£200,000 over three years)

- Reduce the size of the council's corporate estate - such as council offices (£1,000,000 over three years)

- Cut staff numbers in the information, communications technology department (£300,000 over three years)