BRAINTREE Council will consider doing “anything legal” to plug an expected £2.2million budget cut from central government.

Chancellor George Osborne is thought to be planning huge reductions in the amount of money councils receive in grants when he announces his spending review in the Autumn.

In a letter to councillors, council leader Graham Butland said the cuts could be exacerbated by other possible budget constraints, such as the possible loss of £600,000 a year from a recycling contract in 2017 and welfare reforms.

Mr Butland said: “We will consider anything legal which is consistent with the policies of the council and which will produce a good return.

“We are up for anything that’s going because I think within a relatively short period of time local authorities will be responsible for managing their own affairs.”

The Local Government Association has forecast a reduction in grants of 12 per cent in both of the next two financial years, followed by 5 per cent in 2018/19.

See this week's Braintree and Witham Times for the full story.