EAST Sussex County Council has received details of its annual grant from central government – and it faces losing a massive 43 percent of its funding in just four years.

It was given £137 million in the current financial year ending April 2016 – but that figure will drop to £113 million for 2016-17. By 18/19, it will just be £87 million.

Deputy leader Conservative David Elkin said the loss in funding was the reason behind the "deep cuts" which had to be made.

He said: "Make no mistake, we are losing out on millions, and that is why we are having to make very deep cuts to some of the services that we provide.

"To be honest, we did predict this and we have budgeted accordingly, and I am pleased to say that we are where we thought we would be, give or take a couple of hundred thousand pounds. But of course that doesn’t make it any easier for residents and those who will be affected.

"We have been very honest with people from the start and we have conducted a genuine consultation. But when we are facing such a massive drop, we have no choice but to make cuts.’

The county council has said that it will need to save up to £90 million in the next three years, with children’s services and adult social care likely to be hit the hardest.

Among the proposals are to cut funding at homes for vulnerable people, reduce library hours across the country, and reduce children’s services.

Council leader Keith Glazier warned three months ago that savage funding cuts would need to be made, saying that the public voted in a Tory government, and reductions in funding for local government was one of the inevitable consequences.

Councillor Trevor Webb, leader of the Labour group, urged the controlling Tory group to listen to what the public had to say during the consultation period.

He added that the Labour group believes the effects of the reductions could be minimised by using some of the council reserves and stopping some capital projects.

LibDem councillor Mike Blanch talked of ‘enormous angst’ among the homeless, young people, single mums and disabled people who would bear the brunt of these savings.

He said if services for these groups were reduced, then there would be ‘kickbacks further down the line’ because they would still need to be supported.