Emergency funds for snow clearance could be slashed by £100,000 in City of York Council's latest budget cutting proposals.

Plans will also be discussed to increase car park charges by 10p an hour, expected to generate £130,000 a year and reduce traffic congestion in the city centre.

The council's planning and transport committee will consider a £50,000 saving in street light maintenance and savings of £24,000 by reducing the regularity of cleaning road gullies from every eight months to every year.

The council could cease subsidising three bus services which have fewer passengers than their target numbers, saving the authority £37,000 but affecting customers in Fulford, Rawcliffe, Acomb Park, Foxwood, Heworth and Ashley Park in the evenings and at weekends.

It has been suggested that council staff's car park passes be removed and replaced with park and ride passes or a scratch card for long stay car parks for days cars are used on council business, saving £44,000.

The snow clearance cuts come after two mild winters which have meant the emergency cash was not needed.

The cuts come as the council attempts to make up a £4.7 million deficit in this year's budget.

Suggestions including cutting £1.2 million from the social services department, closing the York Story and introducing charges for admission to York City Art Gallery have already been made.

Members of the environmental services committee will discuss reducing staffing levels to save £141,000. Plans have not yet been publicly disclosed.

They will consider proposals to cut the numbers of mechanical street cleaners from three to two , saving £25,000 but meaning roads would not be cleaned as frequently.

Street cleaning vehicles would be reduced from two to one, although the effect is expected to be minimal.

Crematorium fees could increase from £320 to £335, raising more than £34,000.

Stall charges at Newgate Market are expected to increase by inflation rates, while stalls at market events such as the Easter Fayre, the Food and Drink Festival and St Nicholas' Fayre would see greater increases which would generate an extra £28,330.

Charges for collection of bulky household waste would rise from £12 to £15. The committee, which meets on Tuesday, will also discuss spending money on a huge expansion of the city's doorstep recycling scheme.

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