Council spending: Services for young facing £14m cut over three years

North Yorkshire County Council announced yesterday that it will have to make more than 14m in savings over three years to counter a fall in Government funding by up to 25 per cent.

The cost of home to school transport, which is a major financial outgoing for the council covering England's largest county, tops 22m a year and is due to be reduced by 1.6m.

Options include removing free transport for "faith schools" and charges for young people over 16 with special educational needs.

Subsidies could also come to an end for the council's outdoor education centres, which receive 1m a year.

The school music service faces losing its 620,000 subsidy, which could end funding for the county orchestra, band and choir.

Children's social care is due to see a fall of just over 1.2m from an annual 37m budget.

The council also announced it is planning to cut 600,000 from public transport funding – just under 10 per cent of the total budget.

The changes, to be introduced at the beginning of the next financial year, could see funding withdrawn for journeys on Sundays and bank holidays and weekday evening services.