COUNCIL service cuts are “inevitable” after the Welsh Government announced it was slashing funding for Ceredigion Council by 3.4 per cent, the council’s leader has warned.

Ellen ap Gwynn hit out after the Welsh Government’s draft budget revealed that the council’s funding will be cut by the second highest amount in Wales, with only Powys receiving a larger funding cut.

Although the 3.4 per cent cut is less than the funding cut seen last year, Cllr ap Gwynn hit out at the Welsh Government for protecting the budget of urban councils and cutting funding for rural councils.

She said: “Yet again, rural communities are suffering compared to urban ones. The council is suffering one of the largest cuts to any local authority budget for 2016/17, which will result in massive pressure on councillors to make very difficult decisions.”

A council statement said the authority had already saved £20m over the last three years, but will now have to find savings of around six per cent to cover the loss of funding while also meeting increases in some expenditure because of issues such as inflation.

The statement said that, while council services have already faced cuts, further cuts will have to be made.

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