THE leader of Hertfordshire County Council has said the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) is “along the lines we were expecting” – despite the cut to council grants being slightly higher than anticipated.

Councillor Rob Gordon said that “tough” decisions lay ahead for the council, which only two weeks ago set a provisional target of �150m in savings over three years, based on the assumption that cuts would be set at 25 per cent.

But today (Wednesday) Chancellor George Osborne announced that local authorities in England would have to make savings of 7.1 per cent over four years – closer to 30 per cent in real terms.

Cllr Gordon said: “Today’s announcements are pretty much along the lines we were expecting and have been planning for – although the reduction in central government grants looks as if it might be rather higher than previously assumed.

“However, as reduction will be phased in by four equal instalments over four years, it will give us more time to plan for the later years’ savings.

“These are also high level figures and it will be late November or early December before we have precise figures for each local authority.

“We have already set ourselves a provisional savings target rising over three years to �150m. This figure will be revised as necessary once we have analysed the implications of the spending review.

“Tough decisions lie ahead about the range and standard of the services we provide.

“I am sure that, especially in light of today’s spending review, the people of Hertfordshire understand the national context for any difficult decisions we will have to make.”