Worse than expected cuts lead to dire predictions for city

Julie Dore, the leader of Sheffield Council, attacked the Deputy Prime Minister and Sheffield MP Nick Clegg over the bigger than expected reduction and said services across the city would suffer.

Mrs Dore said: “The only areas on which we can now give a cast-iron guarantee are services for the elderly and vulnerable adults and on safeguarding children.

“Everything else will be up for debate. We were expecting a cut of £40m but now we are told it will be at least £50m but we won’t be told for certain until December or possibly even January.

“Obviously we can’t wait for that, there is no way that you can run the finances in that way so we are now in the realms of having to make major changes.”

The council has already made controversial service alterations, changing to fortnightly bin collections and cutting hours at tips.

It has also just completed a consultation on library provision, which Coun Dore said was also likely to be affected.

The Labour-run authority has shed 1,300 staff since the Government’s spending review in 2010, and it is understood that hundreds more jobs are now at risk.

Coun Dore said: “Although we have made some difficult decisions, many people have not seen the cuts at all. Now they will wake up to them. I would call on the Deputy Prime Minister, who represents this city to wake up and see what is happening as well.”