COUNCIL chiefs have announced plans to slash £10m of funding from key services, including road maintenance and safety, transport and the arts.

North Yorkshire County Council’s business and environmental services (Bes) directorate has drawn up a list of savings proposals, which will be presented to its transport scrutiny committee next week.

The suggested savings are in response to last month’s Comprehensive Spending Review, in which the coalition Government confirmed that local authorities will have to cut millions of pounds from their budgets over the next four years – nearly half of it within the next 16 months.

The council is pledging that essential services will be maintained, and that safety issues will always be treated as a top priority.

Councillor Clare Wood, one of two executive members for BES, said: “We have no choice but to introduce these cuts.

“Drastic action is required to address the national deficit, and the council is determined to play its part.

“But we are equally determined to protect the essential services on which so many people rely.”

BES has to find savings of £10.2m out of its total budget of £69m between now and March 2015.

A total of 18 suggested savings that will go before the committee on Wednesday include:

● A proposal to withdraw the subsidy for evening, Sunday and bank holiday bus services – currently being discussed in a county-wide consultation exercise – which would save £600,000;

● Staff restructuring across the directorate, over a fiveyear period, removing more than 60 full-time equivalent posts, saving £2.22m;

● Reducing support to the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors national parks for the public rights of way network, saving £100,000.

The report admits: “It must be acknowledged that there may well be a reduction in the level of service”;

● A saving of about £1.25m will be made by changing highways maintenance work arrangements, which may result in delays carrying out work classed as non-essential;

● A reduction of more than £1m in a Government road safety grant.

David Bowe, corporate director of Bes and chairman of the successful 95 Alive road safety partnership, said: “Road safety is vital and we are now looking at how we deliver it in a different way.

“For example, we are developing road safety education that could sit within the school curriculum.”

The committee is expected to give its feedback on the proposals ahead of a budget meeting next month.

Councillors launch bus petition

HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition against proposed cuts to bus services in rural areas.

Two councillors are fighting plans by North Yorkshire County Council to cut more than £600,000 in funding for rural bus services on evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

More than 200 people have signed an online petition launched by Liberal Democrat county and district councillor Stuart Parsons and independent district councillor Jill McMullon.

A paper petition is also circulating, while Coun Parsons has collected signatures in Richmond town centre.

The pair argue that instead of cutting bus services, the county council should scrap the NY Times newspaper, which costs £500,000 a year to produce and deliver.

They say a further £100,000 could be saved from the senior management wage bill.

Coun McMullon said: “We have found lots of support for the bus services, which should be saved rather than self-congratulatory material.”

The county council said a consultation was under way and all comments would be considered.

The petition can be found at petition online.com/ppnp For details on signing the paper petition, call Coun McMullon on 01325-377960.