A HEADLINE in the latest edition of Bolton Scene, the council newspaper, reads: Council protects priority services.

I do not doubt that our leaders are trying to do that, but the sheer scale of the savings forced by government cuts — £60 million over the next two years – is likely to cause problems for countless individuals in the town.

The accompanying Scene article appears to confirm that some branch libraries are due to close.

It did not say that in the online “consultation” now being considered by the decision-makers, but all the campaigners provoked in to action have always believed that to be the case.

The article tells us that the council has looked at areas where delivery can be sensibly reduced — for example, from “excellent”

to “good” — to make savings without reducing services.

“Examples here include reducing the frequency of grass cutting and proposing to reduce the number, but not the quality, of branch libraries,” it says.

To my simple mind savings of this kind DO equate with a reduction in services. But this is probably small beer compared with further financial misery in the future. The council is warning of four per cent council tax rises for the next three years as it struggles to find savings of £40 million in 2013/14 and 2014/15.

Hundreds of jobs are at risk. More gloomy days are ahead.