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Councillors George Nobbs and Matthew Lee

has announced 3000 jobs are to go and it's got to reduce spending by £155 million over the next three years. Children's services will lose £40m and its youth service will be axed completely.

On Friday said it's planning to make savings of £26m - with a loss of 180 jobs. We already know that Hertfordshire is to shed more than 1,000 jobs, while Suffolk intends to outsource all of its services.

George Nobbs, leader of the Labour group on Norfolk County Council, thinks the spending cuts are being implemented too quickly.

"It will change the face of local government. And there are political decisions about where those cuts are made; 30%-36% of Norfolk's budget goes on adult social services but it's bearing 52% of the cuts. Vulnerable people are being affected, like sensory support services for the blind and deaf."

Matthew Lee, a Conservative councillor in Peterborough disagrees.

"I am supportive of the cuts. It is going to be difficult for councils who haven't really been engaged with making efficiencies for years now, that's going to be a sea change for them. But many will be used to cost-cutting systems by now and they can continue along the path they are already on.

"It's not easy when local government is carrying big local government pension obligations though. One way forward is not for profit organisations."

"The trouble with arms-length organisations taking over council services is that we have no control over it," adds Councillor Nobbs.

"I don't think people realise just what it's going to be like. At the moment we're just announcing the cuts. No-one's actually feeling them yet."

There will be discussions like this going on up and down the land for many months to come as our local authorities grapple with their finances.

Somewhere down the line we will all have to live with the consequences of those decisions.

If you want to have your say consultations are going on, Norfolk's is open until January.

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