PEOPLE across Darlington are being urged to get involved in a series of events and forums to discuss multimillion pound council cuts.

Darlington Borough Council's cabinet group agreed its four-year, medium-term financial plan on Tuesday night, which includes a 3.5 per cent council tax increase and £10.8m worth of service savings.

More than 60 people attended themeeting, withmany appealing to the council to keep Darlington Arts Centre open.

Other concerns raised included the ending of parish council grants, cuts to school transport, ceasing the Shopmobility subsidies and changes to the upkeep of the town's bowling greens.

The union Unison also spoke out against cuts to jobs and employment terms and conditions.

However, council leader Bill Dixon urged people to take part in further consultation.

The council's proposals to save £10.8m is as a result of a 25 per cent reduction in Government grant and follows nearly £14m savings last year.

The proposed 3.5 per cent council tax rise would give the council an additional £1.4m.

Freezing the tax would have triggered a Government grant equivalent to 2.5 per cent.

Councillor Dixon said the council could not simply cut its way out of the economic problems and defended its stance against previously raising tax, saying it would have been immoral to do so, but it was now the victim of frugal budgets.

The council is proposing to make 155 staffredundant. A three-year pay freeze for workers is also expected to save £2.3m and a request to take three days unpaid leave will save a further £294,000.

It will also increase planning fees (which would make an estimated £100,000 a year), parking charges on Sundays (£112,000) and charge for its financial protection service (£15,000).

The council's plans to close the Arts Centre by withdrawing its subsidy has been the most high-profile cut.

Arts portfolio holder Nick Wallis said last year's subsidy was £380,000, but external funding cuts meant the saving was nearer £550,000.

The council also plans to close Cockerton library (saving £100,000 annually), East Row toilets (£38,000) and the Dolphin Centre on bank holidays (£20,000).

The work of a number of departments will be reduced.

They include Early Years Service (£30,000), Connexions Service (£300,000), Town Centre Management (£155,000), events (£100,000), cemeteries (£23,000) and environmental crime (£20,000) and children and young people's plan (£15,000).

Grants will be stopped for bus subsidies (£345,000), parish councils (£35,000), Shopmobility (£32,000), carbon reduction projects (£6,000), rent support for Darlington Association on Disability (£28,000), the children centre at George Dent Nursery (£9,000), indoor bowls club (£25,000).

Post-16 free transport will be stopped (£59,000 by 2017) as will tranport to Greenfield School and Woodham College (£28,000 by 2017) and secondary schools within three miles (£236,000).

The council will cancel its terrorism insurance (£16,000) and Local Government Association subscription (£34,000).

Reviews of consultation with older residents (£27,000), Carers Service contracts (£50,000), Talking Together consultation (£216,000), We lfare Rights Service (£10,000), parenting (£6,000), adult transport (£50,000) will take place.

There will be reductions in floral displays and maintenance of South Park (£30,000), floral displays across the town (£20,000), traffic signs and road markings (£5,000), verge hardening (£25,000) and pavement maintenance (£20,000), CCTV outside the town centre (£46,000) outdoor bowling greensmaintenance (£10,000), and road safety education (£5,000).

The authority will no longer accept non-household waste at the household waste recycling centre (£45,000), nor update its live car park traffic signs (£10,000) or pay for school crossing patrols (£100,000).

It will also change its debt repayment (£320,000).

For all details of the proposals and consultation events go to darlington.gov.uk The first Talking Together meeting is on Monday, December 5, from 6pm to 8pm, in the Dolphin Centre, Darlington.