AN independent councillor believes Kirklees Council’s £250m plan is “a death sentence” for Dewsbury.
Clr Khizar Iqbal fears the reductions will hit regeneration.
The Dewsbury South councillor said: “Labour-run Kirklees has abandoned Dewsbury with this announcement. It does not take a genius to work out that you cannot provide sustainable regeneration for Dewsbury in a climate of cuts.
“I fear it means a death sentence has been passed on Dewsbury.”
Clr Iqbal believes cuts should be made in central Government spending instead.
He said: “Ministers can look across all Whitehall departments to make huge savings. ID cards, the bank bailout, the costs associated with membership of the European Union, costs associated with uncontrolled immigration, NHS bureaucracy, targeted welfare reform and MPs’ expenses.
Meanwhile, the BNP supports the cuts and believes they will have to go further.
BNP councillor Roger Roberts of Heckmondwike said: “This is long overdue, it has to be done.
“Quite frankly, it’s a modest estimate. The way things are going it will have to be more like £375m.
“There are going to have to be quite drastic cuts.”
But Clr Roberts believes some of the savings will benefit Kirklees.
He said: “The good thing is that a lot of the silly posts can disappear. I’ve always advocated that you could get rid of 25% of council staff and no-one would notice.
“We won’t be able to guarantee early retirement and gold-plated pensions.”
