A COUNCIL leader has warned services could be axed in the coming year in the wake of further Government cuts.

Speaking at a meeting of Tendring Council on Tuesday, Neil Stock, leader of the Conservative-run authority, warned that further cuts to established services could need to be made.

Mr Stock has not yet outlined where all the cuts will be made, although council bosses hope to raise cash by pushing ahead with its plans to sell off its offices in Thorpe Road, Weeley, and the authority could charge people for using some public loos.

The council has seen its annual budget slashed from almost £21million in 2012 to £13.6million for 2017/8 following Government cuts.

During the annual State of Tendring speech, he said: “We are well aware that a further £5 million in savings still has to be found over the next three years.

“We know this will mean that in some cases we may now have to stop doing certain things, but we are ready for this challenge and responding to what our residents want and expect from a modern, forward-thinking council.

“We are rationalising our offices, looking at moving from three to two main sites, becoming a more flexible and responsive council to ensure better service delivery and wherever possible saving money.

“We will take every opportunity to become leaner and be increasingly more self-sufficient, we are looking at rationalising our public conveniences, keeping those in tourist areas and essential locations, but where they are underutilised looking at different options.

“We are not an asset-rich council but we are reviewing our assets to determine what we need going forward and making the most of investment opportunities.”

He added that there will be “difficult decisions” to make and that it is likely that the council will look at different ways of delivering some services and “stopping other services completely”.

“We face uncertain times ahead both nationally and internationally, not least with Article 50 about to be invoked bringing about the official start of Brexit,” he added.

“Nobody knows what that will look like or how it will affect us and meanwhile the cuts imposed upon us by Government continue to bite.

“The coming year will be difficult - some decisions will challenge us but we cannot shy away from them.”

Despite the need for cuts, the council said it will still be investing £2.25million in plans for a new garden community in north Essex, £1million for public realm works in Dovercourt, £500,000 to build new homes in Jaywick and almost £600,000 towards a project aiming for full broadband coverage in the district.