A COUNCIL set to announce huge cuts to services is asking the public for help.

Southend Council wants the public’s views on what it should save or what services can be cut back.

As the Government slashes its spending to cut the record national deficit, it is expected councils will see their share of funding, which makes up about half of their total cash, cut by up to 40 per cent.

The results of the Government’s comprehensive spending review over the summer will be announced at the end of October when councils will begin to learn the full extent of the cuts.

The council will be asking for the public’s views through its quarterly Outlook magazine and its website on what savings they think should be a priority and what services could be cut down or changed.

Council leader Nigel Holdcroft said: “We are asking residents to comment if there are things we should be providing in a different way or there are services they don’t think are essential.

“Or how we can cut down on the cost of providing services?

“We are giving everyone the opportunity to participate.”

Councillors are also meeting in cross-party groups over the next few months to discuss how the cuts to services should be made.

The results of the public consultation and the views of councillors will be taken into account when the council’s Tory administration draws up the annual budget in January.

The council has already made savings of about £35million in the past three years through working more efficiently, but this will be squeezed even further as Government funding dips significantly.

The autumn edition of Outlook, which has just been published includes an eight-page pullout with a questionnaire, which families can fill in and send to the council.

For more information, go to: www.southend.gov.uk/budgetconsultation