“We are not where we want to be.”

That was the blunt admission by Kirklees Council leader David Sheard at the first public meeting at Huddersfield Town Hall to discuss massive cost-cutting budget proposals.

The Cabinet meeting came ahead of the full council meeting on February 17, where a budget will get the final stamp of approval.

But Labour cabinet members were united behind their plans to “get the best deal for Kirklees” while trying to offset an £84m black hole in the council’s resources by 2020.

Around 1,000 jobs could go, taxes will rise and services will close according to council leaders, who have had to draft their proposals on how to cope with the funding shortages over the next five years.

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Council leader Clr David Sheard

Clr Sheard said: “Can I make it clear that as far as the Labour group is concerned, we are not where we want to be.

“But we are stepping up to the plate.

“We are making decisions that have to be made: we are willing to make decisions that will get us the best deal for Kirklees.”

As previously reported, figures released in the draft budget show overall funding shrinking from £265m to £221m by 2019/20.

Cuts of almost £31m will run alongside the heavy use of cash reserves in this coming year’s planned budget.

The council suffered 40% cuts from 2010 to last year and now faces a further 34% reduction in government funding by 2020.

Services identified for cuts include the Children’s Music Service, which could lose £296,000 of its £319,000 budget.

Subsidies for some nurseries and schools will be totally removed over the next two years, while six-figure sums will also be sliced from numerous care services for the disabled and elderly.

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Public Health services will also be scaled back due to Government withdrawal of £1.6m of money it had promised and cuts of about £800,000 have been earmarked for the waste collection and street cleaning service.

No opposition councillors or members of the public attended the meeting to ask questions of the council budget report, leaving cabinet members to simply nod through the proposals.

Huddersfield Town Hall.

Clr Graham Turner, portfolio holder for Resources and Community Safety, expressed his frustration about the lack of opposition dialogue.

“We’d expected someone to have had some questions or comments.

“It’s disappointing as there are plenty of things to have talked about and it was a good opportunity to put forward any amendments.”

Councillors now have until February 10 to put forward amendments to be discussed on the full council budget meeting.