YORK’S ruling councillors have agreed a £21 million cuts programme and vowed to plough money into road repairs and a jobs “fighting fund”.

But the level of savings proposed by City of York Council’s Liberal Democrats for areas including young people’s services, have come under attack in a heated meeting at the Guildhall.

The council executive has rubber-stamped its financial plans for 2011/12 ahead of the authority’s final budget being decided next week, including an extra £657,000 for highways maintenance, £132,000 on job creation schemes and a £40,000 winter maintenance budget for ward committees.

Planned cuts to the youth service budget have been reduced by £100,000, which the Lib Dems say will safeguard the future of the Zoo skatepark, the Urbie bus and the Duke of Edinburgh awards.

Coun Ann Reid, executive member for neighbourhoods and housing, said: “The condition of roads and footpaths is consistently the top priority for local residents, so I’m very pleased we have been able to maintain our extra investment in resurfacing.”

Coun Carol Runciman, executive member for children and young people’s services, said: “The youth service is very important to us and we have been able to ensure valuable projects can continue.”

But Labour leader Coun James Alexander told the executive: “The cuts proposed will be devastating for York – it is your Government, it is your council and they are your cuts.

“By not opposing them and exacerbating the effect through waste, you are putting loyalty to your party above loyalty to the people of York. You have lost your way.”

York Green Party vice-chair Denise Craghill called the cuts “an attack on the most vulnerable”.

She said: “They will decimate youth services, remove many services from children’s centres and dramatically reduce the support and guidance young people need to face the jobs market.”

The meeting also drew a furious response from council leader Andrew Waller to Coun Alexander’s comment, referring to a recent letter from some Lib Dem council chiefs criticising Government cuts, that: “Other local Lib Dem leaders have stood up for their communities.”

Coun Waller, who did not sign the letter and said there was insufficient time to consult with his party on it, said: “Don’t you go there – you don’t deserve to make that statement.”