COUNCIL leader Fred Brown has described the Government Grant for 2010/11 as a cruel blow . Early indications are that some tough decisions will have to be made regarding services and cuts in some areas and a rise in Council Tax are on likely. East Cambri

COUNCIL leader Fred Brown has described the Government Grant for 2010/11 as a "cruel blow".

Early indications are that some tough decisions will have to be made regarding services and cuts in some areas and a rise in Council Tax are on likely.

East Cambridgeshire District Council heard in the last few days that its Government Revenue Grant for 2010/11 was as low as they feared: with just a 1.1 per cent increase.

Following the settlement last year, East Cambridgeshire District this

The increase of only �71,000 - roughly 86p per person - means the authority will need to look seriously at the services it offers and have to make some tough decisions on how it delivers its core services.

Councillor Fred Brown, leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "The pitifully small grant increase we have received this year was not unexpected but it is still a cruel blow on the District. Sadly it is what we have come to expect from a Government which doesn't understand what it life is really like outside their Westminster bubble. They do not comprehend the pressures that we face at a local level as our income falls and more and more people need our services as the recession continues to bite.

"Despite the significant efficiency savings the council has made in recent years, next year's budget, as we have long predicted, is going to be very tough. As we work through the implications of this grant, we are going to have to look seriously at how the authority operates and consider the services we offer. Ultimately it is the council tax payer that may have to pick up some of the bill for the Government's failure to fund local government properly.

"We have to be realistic - difficult decisions are going to be made over the next couple of months but I assure you we will work as hard as we can for our residents and businesses in these difficult times.