North East council cuts

More details about proposed council cuts across the region have been announced.

Latest ITV News reports

Full report: Gateshead Council agrees cuts package

Funding cuts to two of the North East's biggest arts venues have been agreed as part of budget cutbacks by Gateshead Council.

The Sage Gateshead and Baltic centre will both lose almost a fifth of the money they receive from the authority.

Overall the cuts will save £30 million over two years and come on top of previous cutbacks of £66 million.

The council will withdraw funding from Bill Quay Community Farm, which now has three months to find other ways to stay open.

The council also hopes that charities or other voluntary groups will come forward to run five libraries across the borough.

Watch a full report from Helen Ford here:

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More cuts recommended for Middlesbrough

The mayor of Middlesbrough put forward recommendations for cuts across the town yesterday evening.

They recommendations will be part of savings of 45 million pounds that the council has to make between now and 2016.

If the proposals are passed next month, there would be reductions in services providing for children, people with disabilities and older people.

However, proposals for Hemlington Library to close, as well as an end to green waste collections, are likely to be withdrawn.

Watch the report from Frances Read below.

Middlesbrough mayor outlines budget cut recommendations

The mayor of Middlesbrough, Ray Mallon, has put forward 109 recommendations for cuts across the town.

They are part of savings of almost 73 million pounds that the council has to make from 2011 to 2016 as part of the government cuts.

He estimates almost 1000 jobs will have been lost in the process.

Among the recommendations:

  • Children centres & youth support service teams to merge, saving £500,000
  • Operating costs of school meals & catering services reduced, saving £50,000
  • School clothing grants to be stopped, saving £13,000
  • Dial-a-Ride service to be stopped for people with difficulties using public transport, saving £60,000

Ray Mallon told ITV News:

"These cuts are too deep, too quick and too savage but in the last two years this council has saved something like £28m and over the next 3-4 years we've got to save another £45m.

"And as far as job losses are concerned up to now we've cut something like 450 jobs and by the time we've finished with this process we're probably going to get nearer to a thousand."

– Ray Mallon, Mayor of Middlesbrough

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