COLCHESTER Council has been forced to almost half its spending on its key services due to local Government funding cuts, new figures have revealed.

Research from the Trades Union Congress shows since 2010, Colchester Council has reduced its spending on services like housing, culture and planning by around £16.2 million.

The 48 per cent drop is the fourth highest percentage in the east, behind only the Forest Heath, Rochford and Huntingdonshire authorities.

Mark Cory, leader of Colchester Council, said the council had worked hard to maintain the quality of its services despite increasing cost pressures.

“At Colchester Council we have done a really good job balancing the books and surviving really harsh cuts,” he said.

“We have done this by making efficiencies in the organisation, by cutting costs and bringing in commercial income.

“We are in a good position unlike some other councils.”

Since 2010, the TUC research states the amount spent on key services has reduced by £103 per Colchester resident.

Mr Cory said over the same time the amount of grant the authority received from the Government had reduced from £12 million to zero.

He said: “I always say the best way to judge how we’re doing is to ask residents whether they have noticed any differences in their services. Most people will say no.

“We are often delivering better services even though we are stretched.”

The figures show over the same period, Essex County Council’s spending on key services reduced by 11 per cent.

Across the region council spending has fallen by 14 per cent, from £4.2 billion to around £3.6 billion.

Chris Jenkinson, Unison’s regional secretary, said: “Unfortunately it’s been those councils in the most deprived parts of the country, where local people rely on services the most, which have been the biggest losers.

“This desperate situation cannot continue. Local government must get the resources it needs now.”

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says Core Spending Power is expected to rise from £46.2 billion to £49.1 billion in 2020-21, an estimated 4.3 per cent increase.

This includes an additional £1.5 billion for adult and children’s social care in 2020-21.

The TUC used net total expenditure figures to analyse data for 353 authorities’ spend on things like highways and transport, children and adults social care, housing, culture, environment, planning and central services.

Education, early years, public health, police, fire services and benefits were excluded from the research.