Please note this story was filed in June 2010 before the sad death of Poole council leader Brian Leverett.

COUNCIL jobs and services could be in the firing line as finance chiefs prepare for government funding cuts worth tens of millions of pounds.

Dorset County Council is anticipating cuts of between 10 and 15 per cent to its funding from government over the next three years – as much as £41m by 2014.

Poole council could be staring at a £20m funding gap in three years, while Bournemouth has budgeted for a reduction in government funding of about 16 per cent over four years.

Roads, social care, and libraries are just some of the services provided by each of the three cash-strapped authorities.

One union leader has already warned that redundancies could spark a “double dip recession”.

Dorset County Council’s chief finance officer, Paul Kent, said his authority had prepared for reductions of between 10 and 15 per cent by 2014.

Cuts of this scale to the council’s £278 million net annual budget – comprised of all income except from council tax and a formula grant – would see funding falls of between £27.8m and £41.7m.

“It’s difficult to give precise numbers. We could be looking at between 10 and 15 per cent over a three-year period,” said Mr Kent.

“We are aware that there are severe restrictions on pay and recruitment and there will certainly be some implications for services. Beyond that, I can’t say in very much detail,” said Mr Kent.

Brian Leverett, leader of Poole council, said he anticipated a 10 per cent cut in their funding over the next three years.

This meant around £7.5m from their government pot of £27m, with the potential loss of £12.5m in other specific grants.

Mr Leverett said the council had anticipated “very large pressures” and a package of measures to address the deficit had been established.

Bournemouth council budgeted in February to lose £2.2m each year for four years from annual government grants worth £55m.

Deputy leader Cllr John Beasley warned, “the devil would be in the detail” of any government funding cuts.

“The government has made it very clear that these cuts are going to be made and like other local authorities we are apprehensive as to how deep they will be,” he said.

Pam Jefferies, the branch secretary of Unison for Dorset County Council, said she feared redundancies could trigger a “double dip recession”.

“People are just very, very worried about their jobs. Staff are not just employees – they are council taxpayers. If you start taking jobs away, you will pay out more in benefits.

“Now there will be cuts to services. It’s going to have a direct impact on everyone,” said Ms Jefferies.