SAVINGS totalling more than £53 million over the next three years have been set out in a finalised budget paper to go before Barnet Council's cabinet on Monday.

More than £15m will be saved by reducing certain council services such as services to combat substance misuse, while £22.4m will come for efficiency projects, such as merging back office functions.

Around £12m in savings is expected to come from the One Barnet or easyCouncil programme which has been ongoing for the last three years.

Adult social services are facing the largest reduction with £17m worth of savings needed, while children's services needs to find £8m in savings.

The document notes many consultations on services have only attracted comments from users.

However, the future of the Church Farmhouse and Barnet Museums and the artsdepot, have seen representations from the wider community.

Despite this all three are still set to lose council cash.

More than £1m worth of efficiencies are also identified for the library service, which has undergone an extensive public consultation, details of which will be published in March.

Pressures identified include £1m on the parking account from factors like severe weather and a back office reshufle, with a plan being put in place to target the most “significant areas and times”.

More cash is being set aside for lawyers in social care cases, and an extra £500,000 for improvements to the council's IT offering and website.

Changes in the population will also see another £2.4m needed by adult social care workers over the three years.

Pay will be frozen for the next two years for council employees earning more than £21,000, while those earning less will have a blanket £250 increase.

It also notes there is a “high risk” if the council is not declared a “priority creditor” in Icelandic courts for deposits in a failed bank, due to be decided by March.

An extra £2m has been set aside on top of £7m already earmarked for a payout to the Catalyst group following a contract dispute.

The full budget proposals are available on Barnet Council's website and they are set to go before the cabinet on Monday, February 14 for approval before going to full council in April.