The council’s revenue support from Westminster – which pays for running costs like wages and electricity – will fall 11.5% from £179m this year to £159m in 2011/12. Government capital funding – which finances investment in new buildings and equipment – will drop from £68m this year to £42m in 2011/12.

The Labour Cabinet last night backed the proposed budget, which will now go to a meeting of full council on February 23 for final approval.

Unusually, the budget was backed by the opposition Lib Dems and Conservatives at the meeting at Huddersfield Town Hall.

Kirklees leader Clr Mehboob Khan welcomed the cross-party consensus.

The Greenhead Labour man said: “We have a collective responsibility to set a budget that combines what we want to do with what we believe are the least worst cuts for Kirklees. The budget sets out to balance the council’s responsibility to provide good services for all with our priority to protect the most vulnerable with much reduced resources.”

Lib Dem leader Clr Kath Pinnock spoke in favour of the budget. She said: “The three parties have come to some agreement about the best way forward.

“We’ve worked to make sure that libraries are not closed, and I’m glad to say we’ve achieved that.”

Conservative leader Clr Robert Light also backed the spending plan.

He said: “The challenges facing the council are real and require everyone to work together. The decisions we have to take are not easy ones. This is a Kirklees unity budget to put the council in a stronger position.”