THE councillors in charge of the biggest departments in Barnet Council set out their aims for spending reductions at Monday night's cabinet meeting.

At the meeting council leader Lynne Hillan described it as “the most difficult budget I remember since I became a councillor”, with £53 million worth of cuts being put before members.

Andrew Travers, the officer in charge of accounts, said the figures laid out were “robust” while Councillor Daniel Thomas, who is in charge of finance, said the budget was “not just about cuts”.

“Reform, fairness and growth” were the watchwords for Councillor Andrew Harper, the children's services chief, who said the reform would come from the way services are delivered, fairness in how they are administered and growth from the increasing population of the borough.

The service, which currently takes a quarter of the council's “core budget” faces cuts of around £12m overall.

However, he highlighted a scheme to put £1m towards early intervention for children with complex needs and said reductions to behavioural support in schools would be offset by staff with “expertise” in the issue in the schools themselves.

Councillor Brian Coleman said: “The good news is Bins will still be emptied, roads still swept, parks still maintained and the services enjoyed by all residents of this borough we continue to be of first class quality.”

The budgets for parking and environmental operations face an £11m reduction over the next thee years, but Cllr Coleman reiterated the fact he was “shocked” at the state he found the parking department in when he took office last May.

He also hit out at “ill informed press speculation” about school crossing patrols, saying the ten centrally funded schools would have to find the cash to pay for their own lollipop people from September.

Earlier representatives from ten schools had handed a 3,000-name petition to the council in a bid to save the patrols, who they fear will be lost as schools cannot afford to pay themselves.

The largest cuts fall on adult social services, which needs to save £17m over three years.

Councillor Sachin Rajput moved to calm concerns about voluntary sector cuts, but stressed funds for non-statutory projects run by charities had to be cut harder to protect the most vital services.

He said the plans were based on “fairness and need” and pledged to continue “safeguarding the most vulnerable in our community”.

He also distinguished the voluntary sector cuts from the Big Society project, saying people had to take “responsibility for contributing to the borough and supporting their community”.

Councillor Richard Cornelius, who heads the planning department, admitted he may be asking for authorisation to spend £115m next year to buy the council out of the housing revenue account, under changes being considered by the Government.

The department faces a £1.4m reduction in the budget plans.