MACCLESFIELD’S councillors sifting through the devil in the detail of last week’s Cheshire East budget have offered a mixed verdict.

While there is acceptance that – as the first-ever budget for the new authority – there is nothing to compare it with, danger signs are seen amid an approved £25million of "savings". More than £11m of this is outside of frontline services.

Labour Councillor Ken Edwards is particularly critical of the £200,000 contribution cut to Connexions, which offers advice on many topics including careers and housing to young people, and £270,000 less for Cheshire Safer Roads Partnership (CSRP).

He said: "Last year in Cheshire East, the killed and seriously injured statistics went up from about 240 to 300.

"Now Cheshire East has decided to withdraw a proportion of that funding. So deaths are going up but the budget is going down.

"It will have a direct effect on the level of enforcement the police can manage.

"Partnership is supposed to be the whole essence of Cheshire East."

CSRP has a budget of nearly £2m in 2009 and represents a number of bodies with responsibility for the region’s roads, including Cheshire Police, the fire service, and from April, Cheshire East and West councils.

CSRP manager Lee Murphy admitted: "Costs are currently going up so this could mean less enforcement on the roads in Cheshire East."

Coun Richard Watson, leader of MBC Labour Group, said the cut could not be justified.

He added: "There are quite a number of savings that are of concern to us including a £150,000 cut in learning difficulties services, which are already underfunded, a £450,000 cut to professional services for schools and a £609,000 cut for economic development – at a time of recession."

Coun David Nielson said: "There have been queries about quite a lot of the savings but the first year is nigh on an impossible situation.

"We believe there is enough money in the budget. There may have to be some moving around and the figures may be wrong and have to be reassessed through the year."

Coun Ainsley Arnold said the savings were included in the original Cheshire East bid, but criticised bosses for not consulting more widely before coming up with the final figures.

"There are some concerns with things like the reduction to Connexions and other areas but we will look at this year as a peculiar case – a one-off.

"Next year all councillors need to be involved in the process right from Day One so they can influence it." Cheshire East’s total budget to spend on services, not including education, agreed last week is £234.1m.