COUNCIL bosses who came under fire after a report revealed overspending of more than £400,000 have strongly denied needing to make massive cuts as a result.

Tendring Council cabinet members were forced to shoot down claims that there would be cuts of 50 per cent to departments following the publication of a financial overview.

The report found the council’s overall General Revenue Fund Account, as of June this year, was actually £460,000 over budget.

The over expenditure, according to the document, has been put down to “unavoidable and on-going costs pressures”.

It also highlights the difficultly to fully gauge the severity of the variance or accurately reflect income so early into the financial year.

As a result, the council’s savings target has now had to increase from £300,000 per annum to £450,000.

Harwich and Kingsway councillor Ivan Henderson said he worries such increases could mean severe cuts to local government departments, which could then impact residents.

He said: “A big concern is our capacity to deliver if we keep cutting our departments.

“It is a concern that we are now missing our target and looking at 50 per cent in cuts to our departments – it isn’t a very good picture.

“The Government now says austerity is over, but the cuts are falling on local Government and the blame lies directly with them.

“They are not giving local Government enough money to provide the services residents actually need.”

But Tendring Council’s chief executive Ian Davidson stated cuts of 50 per cent would not happen but said departments will have to reassess their budgets.

Mr Davidson said: “The £450,000 does not mean a 50 per cent increase in department cuts and there is a whole raft of ways of increasing income.

“There is an increase on our savings target, but you will not see us cutting our departments by 50 per cent.

“They will have to look at their budgets, but this is a savings target.”