SWINGEING cuts at Cumbria County Council (CCC) are set to impact on services and organisations throughout the county.

In a new package of cost-cutting measures the cash-strapped local authority confirmed that an estimated further 1,800 jobs will be lost at CCC by 2018.

Councillors warned of ‘dark times ahead’ as they look to make savings of £83million over the next three years, on top of the £130million savings already identified.

More than three quarters (79 per cent) of next year’s proposed savings are internal ones within the organisation.

But some cuts will affect services directly, and the public are being asked for their views in a ‘Securing Your Future’ consultation, open until January 20.

Locals will be asked to consider a two per cent rise in council tax, but the authority has warned that a freeze will mean an extra £1.6million of savings will have to be made.

Cllr Patricia Bell, CCC’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet member responsible for resources, said: “These are the biggest cuts the council has ever seen. Losing another 1,800 staff will impact on lives, families and our local economy.

"It will be very painful but there is no alternative. We have a legal duty to balance our books and we must live within our means and face up to the reality that if the Government cuts our grants and reduces our budget by a quarter, then we have to make cuts too.”

Many of the reforms will focus on health and social care services, with the aim of saving £5.6million by 2017.

There will be a greater focus on independent living rather than residential homes for elderly people, although Cllr Bell said there were no current plans to close any care homes in the county.

Changes will be made to the way the council commissions sexual health services, support for drugs and alcohol misuse and children’s services.

A new ‘lifestyle and wellbeing service’ will be created, bringing together services including NHS health checks, weight management and stop smoking support.

The highways revenue budget will be cut by 15 per cent (£950,000), meaning urgent road repairs will still receive a 24 hour response, but ‘non-urgent’ matters will take longer to attend.

The consultation also raises the idea of merging the six district councils and the county council to create one or two ‘unitary’ councils for Cumbria, saying this could save up to £27million with one council or £16million with two.

And the authority announced it plans to half its £92,000 annual grant to the Lake District National Park Authority.

It is also withdrawing grant funding altogether from Cumbria Tourism, Cumbria Social Enterprise Partnership and the Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Trust.

People are invited to write to Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government with their views.

All of the savings proposals are available to see at www.cumbria.gov.uk/budgetconsultation.