UP TO £90 million of cuts are being planned as council bosses “prepare for the worst-case scenario”.

East Sussex County Council has to balance the books by saving between £70 million and £90 million between 2016 and 2019.

This is on top of the £89 million in cuts the council is currently trying to make before the 2016 deadline.

Councillor David Tutt, leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, warned that the cuts would hit the “most vulnerable” hardest.

‘Radical approach’ He said the council needed a “far more radical approach” and needed “new income streams” to ensure the cuts did not hit frontline services.

At Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, members were warned of further reductions in Government cash.

Councillor David Elkin, deputy leader, said they were preparing for the “worst-case scenario” and warned that residents may see “major changes”.

He said: “This is only the start of the process and a lot can change but we need to identify potential savings to ensure we are in the best position to deal with any eventuality.”

A spokesman for the council assured the public the body is committed to “driving economic growth, keeping vulnerable people safe and making best use of the council’s resources”.

Labour’s Jeremy Birch said: “Already we have seen consultations about withdrawing subsidised buses, the closures of care homes and the reduction of children’s centres.

“The only resolution is to campaign for a change in government. The council will try to mitigate the impact of these cuts and we must try to find other areas of income to help bridge the gap – but ultimately we have to do something about the austerity programmes.”

A council spokesman said as the savings target is at the most preliminary stage it has yet to be decided what would be cut.