GWYNEDD Council is bracing itself for cuts of up to £20m in the next few years.

Addressing Dolgellau Town Council recently, Gwynedd Council leader Dyfrig Siencyn, right, who represents the town, announced that different departments within the county council could potentially face budget cuts of up to 20 per cent.

The services were also asked for a profile of the implications of cuts of three per cent and six per cent for the years after 2018/2019, he said.

Cllr Siencyn said that a lot of work had gone into setting the local authority’s 2018/19 budget but the county council had to be prepared for swingeing cuts in the future.

He admitted the Welsh Government settlement was “slightly better than expected” but still left a “gap” of £7m for Gwynedd Council to fund.

The council leader added there would not be any further cuts to what has already been agreed for 2018/2019 but they are prepared for a potential funding gap of “£12m in year 2019/20 and a further possible deficit of £8m in the following two years”.

Speaking to the Cambrian News after the meeting, Cllr Siencyn said the financial forecast was “bleak” and explained: “The Cabinet has asked all services for a report on how a cut of three per cent, six per cent and 20 per cent in their budgets would affect their services.

“Of course around 75 per cent of our budget is made up of our care services and education and if it is decided that these vital services should be protected then as a consequence the other services will have to bear a greater burden.

“The Cabinet will in coming weeks take an overview of all services and will consult with all council members and scrutiny committees in the coming months.”