Local authorities have dramatically cut spending on education, transport, housing and cultural services, according to a new study.
An analysis by the Press Association (PA) revealed the scale of cuts to council services between 2010-11 and 2014-15.
Net current expenditure on housing services has been hit hard. Excluding housing revenue account, they have seen a 30% cut in spending between 2010 and 2015.
Education services, which have seen a 29% cut, have also suffered under the Government’s austerity programme, as have highways and transport services (25%) and cultural, environmental and planning services (22%).
Police services have seen their budgets depleted with cuts of 15% and fire and rescue services have been similarly hit (12%)
Responding to the findings, Cllr Claire Kober, chair of the LGA's Resources Board, said: ‘Councils have increasingly had to do more with less in recent years while trying to protect services, such as caring for the elderly, protecting children and reducing homelessness, in the face of growing demand.
‘Inevitably it has meant having less to spend on many of the other services people value, such as filling potholes and funding leisure facilities like pools, gyms, parks and museums.’
‘The next few years will continue to be a challenge and more difficult decisions will still have to be made,’ she continued.
‘All councils will have to find further substantial savings from local services to plug funding gaps over the next four years and compensate for the rising cost pressures they face.’
