BARNSLEY Council is about to slash a massive £9million from its budget - putting 151 jobs at risk.

The severity of the cuts, half way through the financial year, is likely to mean more compulsory redundancies than ever before at the council.

Departments that in the past have been protected will not be this time around. That means for the first time there will be reductions in spending on highways, neighbourhood pride and waste management.

Some youths clubs will close, the bin/recycling collections will be altered, senior management will be dramatically cut, there will be fewer care managers and assessors, business centres will close, there will be cuts in supported living/community alarms spending for vulunerable adults, bereavement services fees will go up by six per cent and £1.5million will be taken from the council's legal, finance and human resources services.

As if these cuts, which are expected to be approved by the full council next week, were not enough, more are to follow.

Council leader, Sir Steve Houghton, says the council has been forced to make these mid-year cuts because of the sheer size of the cuts it is facing at the end of the year and for the next two years after that.

The stark facts are that Barnsley Council has already chopped £45million from its annual budget over the past three years. By next year a further £18million will have been cut.

Cllr Houghton said: "We had to start with this £9million of cuts early because of the sheer scale of the budget restrictions we're facing. You cannot just take £18million of cuts and roll that out over a few months - it takes time.

"Yes it makes me sad, but more than that it makes me angry because Barnsley is facing cuts to services because of the way the government is funding local government and places in the south of England are proportionately being given a lot more than us.

"For the past few years we have managed to protect certain services and will do our best to continue to do so. But with so many cuts year after year we are having to make difficult choices no department is now safe and yes people will start to see a difference.

"We have managed to avoid huge compulsory jobs losses in the past, but I accept that this time around we may not be able to do so.

"We will continue to be innovative and flexible and do everything we can to protect services and jobs, but it is far from easy and the government predictions of its spending on local government does not give us any glimmer of hope."