THE council has pledged to examine savings proposals which are threatening Thurrock’s voluntary sector.

At a meeting on Monday night, the council said it would look to see if it could use reserves to help increase the time it had to absorb cuts to the sector worth £1.3million over the next three years.

The move came as representatives from the voluntary sector, including Neville Baldwin, chair of Thurrock Council for Voluntary Service, presented an alternative council budget.

John Kent, Leader of the Council and Cllr Richard Speight, communities portfolio holder were spoke at the meeting on Monday, which had all overview chairs and vice chairs in attendance.

Cllr Speight said: "As the leader has said many times now, the financial situation that the council faces is unprecedented. We are in the position of having to cut at least £37 million out of the budget over the next three years, after a previous period equally savage cuts.

"We have, up to this point, made savings in a way that protects front line services, but there is only so much you can cut without having an impact on residents. We are now at that stage."

He added: "I don't want to have to be making these cuts. I recognise that the voluntary and community sector levers extra money into Thurrock, I recognise that it plays an important early intervention role and I recognise the value that volunteering brings to our community.

"But recognising all of that doesn't change the bottom line - £37 million to be cut."

Cllr Kent said: "What I would suggest is we look to find a kind of small amount of money from a corporate reserve in order to act as a buffer for the year 2015/16 that would buy us the time to fully explore these options."

He said he did not wish to commit the council to where the money would come from, or how much could be available.