Haringey Council warned there are "very tough decisions to be made” as it launched a public consultation on budget cuts.

The council needs to cut £70 million from its budget over the next three years.

The consultation, Investing in Our Tomorrow, run in partnership with Haringey Association of Voluntary and Community Organisations (Havco), aims to find out which public services people think matter most.

Councillor Jason Arthur, cabinet member for resources and culture, said:  “There’s no hiding from the fact that we’re facing some very difficult decisions.

“The role of the council will have to evolve and we won’t be able to continue to offer all the same services as we do now.

“However, despite the serious challenges ahead, we’re clear that we’re not prepared to simply sit back and manage decline.

“Instead we want to find a way of empowering our communities so that together we can continue to make Haringey better."

Cllr Sarah Elliott, the leader of the council's opposition Liberal Democrat group, blamed the cuts on the deficit created by the last Labour goverment.

She said: "Some of the cuts already proposed by the Labour-run council are going to be very difficult to achieve. For example, children's services are currently missing their savings targets now, how are they going to make even more savings?

"Launching a consultation with residents is a good idea, but the Liberal Democrats urge the Labour run council to do more than merely pay lip service to this consultation. In the interests of transparency I strongly urge the Labour-run council to publish the full results of this consultation and to show exactly how they have taken residents' views into account when deciding where to make the necessary cuts."

"There is not much point consulting people if those views are then ignored."

 

People can take part in an online survey, contribute at area forum meetings or go to road show sessions. For information, visit www.haringey.gov.uk/ourtomorrow