DAY care centres and old people's homes face the chop as Haringey Council begins to make the biggest cuts in the borough's history.

Finance chief Councillor Joe Goldberg said he took “absolutely no pleasure” in putting forward a raft of widespread cuts to council services, and railed against the coalition government for forcing cuts he says will hit the most vulnerable in the borough.

He said: “This is the first wave of cuts, but it is not something we are happy with or support – we have been left with little choice because of the situation we have been left in after the government settlement.

“It gives me absolutely no pleasure to introduce this report, which outlines quite clearly the first set of cuts we are being forced to implement in the face of the largest cuts this borough has seen since its inception.

“The council stands completely opposed to the depth and speed of the cuts, not just to ourselves as a council but to the public sector and the impact it will have on our economy as a whole.”

The council has outlined around £28m of savings in the first wave, agreed by cabinet on Tuesday, but this is less than a third of the £87m it needs to cut in the next three years.

In 2011/12, the council has been told to cut £46m, a move Cllr Goldberg described as a “shambollic disgrace” by a “government in disarray”.

Four residential care homes and seven drop-in and day centres face the axe over the next couple of years – part of a move by the council to get services off its books.

Cllr Goldberg said this was an acceleration of the adult care personalisation process, but warned although adult care appears to have been hit hard in this round of cuts, other areas are likely to be similarly affected when the full extent of the budget cutting has been revealed.

At least 1,000 council staff will be made redundant to save between £10m and £20m, and a redundancy scheme is already underway.

As well as cuts to services, such as reductions in staff at libraries and at Tottenham's Bruce Castle Museum, a raft of increases in fares and charges levied by the council have also been approved.

And maintenance of council-owned buildings will be scaled back, with problems only being fixed if absolutely necessary or they are legal required to do so.

Councillor Clare Kober, leader of the council, said she was anticipating a significant backlash over the cuts, from residents and from council staff.

She said: “I expect people to be angry, because I'm angry and many of our staff are angry.

“People have spent careers building up services, some that are not necessarily accessed by people who are vocal. But they have got value and we will have to stop providing them.

“I don't believe anyone came into public service to cut services.”

The Labour administration is due to revealed further budget cuts in the new year and will bring them forward to cabinet in February.