By Rebecca Pearson

COUNTY councillors from all parties have formed a united front to fight for a better deal for Hampshire.

They will send a cross-party letter urging local government secretary Eric Pickles to stop cutting the authority’s funding.

Councillors fear further cuts could damage frontline services, including safeguarding some of the county’s most vulnerable children and adults.

The authority has lost 51 per cent of its Government funding in the last six years.

As previously reported, library funding has been slashed, neighbourhood wardens axed, bus subsidies removed and hundreds of council jobs lost.

Funding has also been stopped for gardening and handyman services at sheltered accommodation and frail pensioners' homes.

Hampshire Chronicle:

Hampshire County Council's Winchester headquarters

Hampshire is bracing itself for a further £100 million in cuts that are likely to come into effect after 2017.

The letter to Mr Pickles comes after a motion put forward by Basingstoke Labour councillors Criss Connor and Jane Frankum at the last full council meeting in Winchester, when the authority agreed its 2015/16 budget.

It will say that the council will find it difficult to take the same level of cuts in the next parliament as most of the savings that can be made have been made.

They say further cuts could put services at risk, including adult care and children’s services.

Hampshire Chronicle:

Basingstoke councillors Criss Connor (pictured) and Jane Frankum led calls to fight cuts to local government

But campaign group the Taxpayers’ Alliance said it’s time for the county council to dip into its £400 million reserves pot to cover the shortfall.

Chief executive Jonathan Isaby said: "The council needs to stop the publicity stunts and get on with delivering the essential services taxpayers have paid for and deserve.

"It has acted prudently to build up reserves and it's time to use them. Funding is extremely tight and that means we need to find necessary savings in both central and local government.

“There's no point leaving £400 million in a pot marked "do not touch" when we need to deliver essential services."