Council chiefs will leave no stone unturned to balance books

SOME services in the borough are facing the chop as council chiefs struggle to balance their books following the Government’s spending cuts.

Cllr Muhammed Butt, Labour Deputy Leader of Brent Council, told the Times all services will be slashed by 25 per cent and some will be axed altogether.

He said: “We are going to have to take a drastic look at all service that we provide.

“Because of the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review we will need to look at even stopping some of those services.”

It is also the final chapter for several libraries and social housing tenants are facing a huge hike in their rents but according to Cllr Butt the final grim figure will not be totted up until next month.

He said: “The impact on what these cuts means for Brent won’t be clear until next month but there is no doubt there will be cuts.

“Residents who are on low-incomes but not receiving benefits will be hit the hardest.”

In July, the Times exclusively revealed that libraries, social housing, day care centres and school rebuilding programmes would be the biggest casualties of town hall cuts.