UP TO 120 jobs could go at East Sussex County Council after it revealed its plans to make £18 million worth of savings.

The major public sector employer will look to make cuts of £5.5 million to children’s services and more than £7 million from adult social care in its proposed 2015/16 budget to be put before the Conservative-controlled cabinet next week.

Seven children’s centres face closure as the authority begins its latest round of cuts, aimed at saving up to £90 million by 2018/19.

Residents will be asked to pay 1.95% more in council tax in 2015/16 – the equivalent of £23 extra a year for a band D property owner.

The council is on course to record a £5.75 million overspend in this financial year in the last year of a six-year £90 million budget cutting programme. The budget outlines £43.2 million of capital spending which is currently “unallocated” with millions to be spent on new pavements, street lighting and £12 million on schools.

The controversial Bexhill to Hastings Link Road will receive an additional £2.9 million for the route to be completed this year while £500,000 will be spent on repairing the aging Exceat Bridge.

Some £15 million will be spent extending super-fast broadband across the county.

Councillor David Elkin, lead member for resources, said: “We’ve proven in recent years that we can be trusted to act prudently and responsibly, but the climate of austerity we’re operating in means more difficult decisions have to be made.

“An increase in council tax is not something we treat lightly, but would help us control our resources at a time of great uncertainty.”

Liberal Democrat leader David Tutt said he had many concerns about proposed cuts – particularly to adult social care, mental health, children’s services and environment budgets.

He added: “In order to make their budget fit there are going to be some very large cuts and my group are currently looking at them in detail to find ways to reverse those that have the most impact on individuals.”

Labour finance lead Jeremy Birch said that his party would put forward an alternative budget at a council meeting on Tuesday February 10 when the budget will be finalised.