A COUNCIL plans to change its budget proposals following consultation with residents.

Residents and businesses in Gateshead have backed their local authority's approach to find efficiency savings in administration - protecting front-line services as far as possible.

As a result of comments on the proposed savings, Gateshead Borough Council intends to drop plans to change the rules on home helps and not to cut the opening hours of waste and recycling centres.

It will also delay reductions to voluntary groups until next year, so they can plan ahead.

Residents have supported proposals to introduce a pilot recycling scheme to collect waste from the kerbside.

The authority must find £3m savings over the next two years.