COUNCIL bosses in Caerphilly say they are entering “uncharted waters” amid talks of cutting £15.6 million from its budget next year.

Cabinet members were told that the authority was about to enter a “difficult period” as they approved the first draft of budget proposals for 2019/2020.

Plans includes cutting spending on schools, libraries, highways maintenance, public toilets and community safety wardens.

Plans to scrap Meals Direct, the council's meals on wheels service, also feature within the proposals

A council tax rise of 6.95 per cent could be introduced alongside charges for public car parks, residential parking permits and bus station departures.

READ MORE: Council tax in one Gwent authority could rise by nearly 7 per cent this year

The proposals assume the council will receive no further funding from the Welsh Government when the final local government settlement is released on December 19.

Deputy leader Barbara Jones said: “We can no longer put all the blame on the Tory government in London.

“That hurts me to say as a life-long socialist, but the Welsh Government have not given us fair play. We’re entering uncharted waters.”

Nicole Scammell, head of corporate finance, said the savings target is the highest recorded by the council since it became a unitary authority in 1996.

The proposals have been presented as permanent or temporary cuts, with Ms Scammell advising cabinet to retain as many permanent cuts as possible – even if extra money is afforded to them by the Welsh Government.

The leadership was also told not to use reserves, typically used for one-off capital expenditure, to balance the budget and fund “undeliverable services” – something done by the cash-strapped Northamptonshire council.

“It would be foolish. This happened at Northamptonshire, but we are nowhere near that,” added Ms Scammell.

Council leader Dave Poole described the proposals as “depressing” and hoped for extra funding to become available from Welsh Government.

READ MORE: Caerphilly council leader Dave Poole issues warning following budget proposals

“I’ve got 40-plus years in local government and the Thatcher years are nothing compared to what we’re going through now,” added Cllr Poole.

“I fear for the future of local government.”

Other cabinet members expressed “grave concerns” and claimed to have had “sleepless nights” over the future of particular public services.

Interim chief executive Christina Harrhy looked to the budgets to come, with the authority expected to cut a further £60 million over the next five years.

“We’ve already cut £89m since 2008 and protected frontlines services this can no longer be the case as two thirds of the proposed cuts affect frontline services,” she said.

Leaders of opposition groups also expressed dismay at the proposed budget and urged the Welsh Government to grant further funding to the authority.

Councillor Colin Mann, leader of the Plaid Cymru group

Plaid Cymru’s Colin Mann said: “Welsh local government is being victimised by Labour Welsh Government.

“Wales has received a worse financial settlement than the Conservative government gave to local authorities in England in relation to funding for social care and that is not acceptable.”

Cllr Mann urged the Labour cabinet to look again at their proposals, while also suggesting that using reserves would be a good move to retain some public services.

Councillor Kevin Etheridge, leader of Independents, described the £15.6 million cuts as “unacceptable”, adding that the taxpayer was still paying for the ongoing pay dispute regarding the council’s former chief executive, Anthony O’Sullivan.

The proposals will go out for consultation from November 19 before final suggestions are put to cabinet on February 21 next year.