UNION representatives have warned that council services may be placed under further strain as Guildhall chiefs drive for further savings.

City of York Council’s budget includes a Conservative commitment to reduce spending on staff. Tory leader Ian Gillies said it would be achieved by not replacing staff who left, but Unison today warned many departments would be placed under pressure.

Linda Wilkinson, Unison York general convenor, said: “There are an awful lot of departments that are working with vacancies, and it does put pressure on other staff to cover that work.

“People do go off sick because they are stressed out. Some departments will be pressured if vacancies are not filled.”

At Thursday’s budget-setting meeting, Coun Gillies argued the council must become more efficient and spend less on staff and consultants, rather than cutting front-line services.

He said today staff should be cut at back-office level, adding: “Nobody will get replaced without it being verified that we really need those people.”

He said he had given the Liberal Democrat council leader Andrew Waller an “ultimatum” that he must accept their savings and a council tax rise of 3.25 per cent, rather than 4.25 per cent, or face losing control of the council.

Coun Waller said the Lib Dems had got “99.5 per cent” of their budget passed, and said the Tory cuts would be achieved by taking advantage earlier of savings identified by a efficiency consultant.

He said: “We believed that this was more workable than Labour’s amendment and a majority vote was needed on the night.”

The agreed budget sees more spending on recycling, road repairs and drainage and social care, but includes increased parking charges, a major shake-up of allotment fees and above-inflation rises in cremation costs.

Fact file

York householders will have the lowest tax bills in Yorkshire next year – having almost faced the biggest increase in the region.

The Liberal Democrats on City of York Council proposed a tax rise of 4.25 per cent, higher than any other authority. But the Conservative rise of 3.25 per cent was agreed instead, meaning York’s overall tax levels are once again the lowest in the region.

The city was replaced last year by Doncaster as cheapest – by £1 for a Band D household. But Doncaster agreed a rise of 4.15 per cent this year, meaning York is again cheaper.