RESIDENTS were asked for their opinion about looming cuts to the council’s budget during a meeting.

RESIDENTS were asked for their opinion about looming cuts to the council’s budget during a meeting.

Area committee five, which covers Chadwell, Goodmayes and Seven Kings, was briefed on plans to make immediate savings of �5million , as well as a slash of up to �25 million from a future budget.

Cllr Robin Turbefield, cabinet member for housing and Cllr Shoaib Patel, cabinet member for environment and community safety, told the meeting in All Saints Church hall, Broomhill Road, Goodmayes, about the need for cuts, which are being made by councils across the country in the wake of an expected slash in government spending.

A list of options included reducing services in things like cleansing, toilets, day centres, staffing costs and refreshments.

Chadwell Cllr Wes Streeting said: “My concern is that these are the things that members of the public pay their taxes for.

“I have seen a physical decrease in the quality of the streets in my ward and this message was fed back to me on the doorstep when I was campaigning.

“So why on earth are the council looking at reducing things like street cleansing?”

Resident Tony Wright slammed the cuts as “short sighted”.

He said: “If we don’t have toilets it’s going to lead to problems.

“We need to see Redbridge Life being cut and what about the Mayor’s limousine?”

Cllr Turbefield defended the council newspaper and said the council was unable to get rid of the Mayor’s car at this time.

He said people directly affected by any cuts would be consulted first and said a lot of job losses would be soaked up by not filling empty posts.

The meeting also included a demonstration of the Redbridge Conversation - a new online consultation tool which allows the public to make their suggestions about what should be cut or saved.