Major budget cuts will now go out to public consultation after Kirklees Cabinet backed them last night.

And the council has been asked to explore one potential change for Tenants and Residents Associations (TRAs) taking on the running of estates.

The suggestion was made by Clr Amanda Stubley, a Batley East Labour member who has been a TRA secretary for 10 years.

She spoke out as Kirklees Cabinet members approved the council’s budget proposals for 2014/15 to go out to public debate.

Proposals include £1.4m less for routine road repairs, £1.076m less in street cleansing; the loss of 201 full-time equivalent posts and a £30 administration charge for parking permits.

But Clr Stubley said communities and groups should explore opportunities for improvement based on the budget changes.

She told Cabinet members: “TRAs are struggling and they’ve struggled for a while.

“This is an opportunity for TRAs to run their own estates, to do things like grass cutting, decorating and putting contracts out to tender.

“I think this is what Cliff Whiteley’s vision for TRAs was meant to be about – to run their own estate and this is an opportunity we’ve got to do it.”

Kirklees Council leader Clr Mehboob Khan asked for the idea to be explored.

Other budget proposals include the possible closure of attended public toilets in Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Holmfirth. The council hopes the private sector may run them.

They are also proposing introducing a £30 administration charge for parking permits for up to 9,000 people living in 320 locations, although low-earners and pensioners will not be charged.

The Civic Office could lose £10,000 of its budget, with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor carrying out fewer duties.

Cabinet members said it was their job to use the council’s cut-back budget to protect vulnerable communities.

Deputy leader Clr David Sheard said: “I think it is quite obvious that the north of England has been hit hard, more than anywhere in the south.

“The cuts we’re having to make by 2016/17 will be £129m a year. If you take the school’s budget out it means we’re cutting 30%-40% of the budget. Some people may believe that can be done without affecting local services.”

Clr Sheard said they had to look to future years, with budgets for 2016/17 and onwards not yet set. “It’s important that we very quickly have some idea of the shape of services that we’re going to survive with. There’s no point spending money on maintaining buildings that we might not need in the future because that service has gone.”

Clr Shabir Pandor, Cabinet member for Resources, spoke of the impact of budget cuts on the community: “There’s NHS cuts, the police budget is under scrutiny, a lot of reforms are taking place which will affect our communities,” he said. “The blame for this is put at the front door of Number 10.”

Clr Khan highlighted how English councils were facing spending cuts of between 25% and 28%, while Scotland faced less than 10% and Wales and Northern Ireland were protected.

“Northern councils are being unfairly treated – we’ve cuts four times deeper than Scottish councils,” he said.

He added that long-term the council has to look at growth achievements including boosting apprenticeships, building affordable homes and helping Kirklees residents affected by the rising cost of living.

David Smith, director of resources, told Cabinet members yesterday that a letter from the Local Government Association called on the chancellor to consider future changes, which includes an England Office, more power at a local level for tax levels and to reduce ministers’ involvement in local decision making.

Cabinet members backed the public consultation and more details can be found at www.kirklees.gov.uk .