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Councils across the region have finally been told exactly how much government money they are to receive over the next two years.

Our shire and unitary authorities shall have to lose £250m between them by 2013.

The east is suffering some of the highest cuts to council budgets in the country.

Some of our authorities like Norwich, Harlow, Corby, Great Yarmouth, Breckland and Fenland have been hit hardest with the maximum cut of 9%. The coalition has decided to give a transitional grant to limit the cuts to that figure.

So far these figures have been simply numbers on a spreadsheet but now the reality will hit councils who will have to decide exactly what the implications are going to be for you and me.

Labour's leader in Norwich Councillor Steve Morphew's first reaction was that the cuts disproportionally affect less well off areas. "They're clobbering the poor," he said.

Of our unitaries, Luton is the worst hit with a 5.5% cut in funding next year and an additional 5.5% cut the year after that.

loses £4.8% next year and again the year after, while is to face a 3.75% cut year on year. isn't far behind with a 3.55% cut next year and the following year.

The shires fare a little better. The biggest cut is to - 3.01% next year and the year after, while Buckinghamshire gets away with a 0.6% reduction year on year.

face a 1.6% reduction each year for the next two years, which on the face of it doesn't sound too bad. So will that mean that the people of the county will be spared some of the deepest cuts that had been planned? Alas, no, as many other funding streams, or the lack of them, have to be taken into account - the countil tax freeze for one.

agrees. The government figures reveal a cut of 2.60% for next year and the year after but the authority claim the true figure is 12.4% for next year.

Councillor Bill Parker, Northamptonshire's cabinet member for finance, said: "It appears from our initial analysis of the figures that our formula grant for 2011 has gone down by 12.4%.

"This is a devastating blow for Northamptonshire given that this settlement accounts for three-quarters of our total budget. While we anticipated a tough settlement, we are nevertheless shocked by the extent of the reduction which is even worse than anticipated.

"We now need to consider how they impact on the savings we need to make."

Many other councils will be thinking exactly the same thing.

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Here's more from Harlow...

Cllr Andrew Johnson, leader of Harlow Council said: "We are looking at cuts of 25 per cent in our Revenue Support Grant over the next two years, 15% in 2011/12 and 10% in 2012/13*. Clearly that is tough and at the higher end of the scale in terms of the cuts Councils are facing, but it is not unique and Harlow has not been 'singled out'.

"However, we obviously face some very challenging times ahead and there will be some tough choices on services and Council jobs. Residents should be assured that we will keep doing what we have always done - and that is to ensure that front line services are protected as far as possible."

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