Cuts to council-run services will bring dramatic reductions in children's services, libraries and youth clubs and a new wave of privatisation for frontline services, the most comprehensive survey so far of town halls will reveal today.
It shows the cuts, which will begin to really bite today as budgets for the 2011-2 financial year kick in, have been disproportionately targeted at the young. Youth clubs, play services and Sure Start centres are bearing the weight of above-average reductions.
The impact will be compounded by further cuts to libraries, cultural services, parks and leisure, triggering warnings that children and teenagers will be forced on to the streets with nothing to do.
The study, conducted by the Local Government Association (LGA), surveyed finance directors from 40% of local authorities. It also finds that two-thirds of councils are embarking on privatisation programmes to cut costs.
The communities secretary, Eric Pickles, has accused some councils of failing to rein in costs before making cuts to services. However, the LGA said the survey proved councils were doing everything they could but were faced with reductions in their grants of up to 17% this year.
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