STREET light dimming, reduced traffic management schemes and recycling reform are being considered by council bosses as ways of saving £98 million from its budget.

Hampshire County Councillor Sean Woodward, executive member for economy, transport and environment, says that the council is looking at different ways of cutting costs and admits that "difficult choices" need to be made.

The council sought residents' views earlier this year as part of its Shaping Hampshire Spending Review consultation and proposals will go before councillors at a meeting today.

Cllr Woodward said: "In order for us to make the anticipated savings, residents have also told us that they would support street light dimming, a reduced number of local traffic management schemes where these are not led by safety concerns, a focus on reducing amounts of household waste produced, and increasing recycling.

"Taking all this into consideration, we will be looking at a number of ways some of these services will be delivered differently in the future.

"There are clearly difficult choices to be made, and we will need to focus resources more than ever on your priority services. "We will do our best to protect the core Household Waste Recycling Centre service across the county."

The council says the savings are needed to meet reduced funding from central Government and that responses from the public have formed part of the proposals.

The meeting will be held at 10am at Elizabeth II Court.