Plans to get Birmingham City Council out of financial black hole agreed
They're expected to be signed off at a meeting next week
Plans to get Birmingham out of its current financial crisis - due to to an unpaid equal pay bill and a new payments system - have been approved.
They were put forward last week by the Council to help them fill the £300 million pound hole they have in their finances.
The plans include cuts to families and children's services, arts and cultural organisations, social work, services for disabled children, day centres, libraries, home care, parks, youth centres and waste services.
Today's meeting is the first time the council faced public questions from political opponents since they unveiled the proposed 'savings' last week.
Those plans are now expected to be signed off at a full council meeting next week.
Also planned is a 9.99 per cent annual council tax rise for the next two years - meaning current payments will go up by a fifth by 2025. At least 600 jobs are expected to go. The council is also planning to sell £1 billion-worth of assets, providing the Government gives it the go-ahead.
Cllr Robert Alden the council have let the residents of Birmingham down
But Cllr John Cotton - Leader of the Council says he will do all he can - to get the city back on its feet and admits they've made mistakes which they now plan to fix.