PLANS to cut £32 million from Bury Council’s budget over the next three years were discussed at a meeting in Tottington.

Residents were warned of “difficult” days ahead as central government plans will mean reductions to services in many areas.

Speaking alongside the council’s chief executive Mike Owen, council leader, Cllr Rishi Shori said that Bury Council has already faced cuts of £65 million since 2010.

He said: “There is no denying we are facing difficult times but we still have our aspirations for the borough.

“Although the council is facing changes, the council vision is to lead, shape and maintain a prosperous Bury that is fit for the future.”

Cllr Shori highlighted that Bury Council has traditionally received far lower government funding than the national or Greater Manchester average.

He said: “Despite receiving lower government funding, Bury is still one of the best places to live in Greater Manchester.

“Further cuts mean we are faced with some challenges although we are looking at ways to become more self-efficient.

“We will examine areas where services can be provided collaboratively - for example working with other local authorities and partner organisations, including Bury Clinical Commissioning Group.

“No matter what spending reductions we are faced with, it’s always got to be our aim to get better outcomes for the people of Bury.”

Residents at the meeting, at Tottington Methodist Church, raised concerns over cuts to children’s services and foster care.

Mr Owen reassured people that the council was working to improve its services despite spending reductions.

He added: “We will be reducing costs of looked after children through investment initiatives, such as the Adolescent Support Unit and recruiting additional foster carers and adopters to reduce reliance on independent fostering agencies.

“I think we will start to see all public services looking at restructuring to adjust to these changes over the next few years.”

The council is currently carrying out a public consultation on its plans and will set its budget for the next financial year in February.

Cllr Dorothy Gunther said: "I have been a member of Bury Council since 1992, so that is well over 20 years.

"During that time Bury has always been underfunded.

"You've chosen this evening to show us the amount of money which you received so many years ago and how much you are getting now.

"Even when we were much better funded we still had problems, we still had holes in the roads and we still had blocked drains."

To view the proposals, go to Bury.gov.uk/budget201720

The consultation closes on Tuesday, January 31.