Budget Plans Published

Rising demand for services, increasing service costs, decreasing income and a continuing council tax freeze.

Some of the challenges facing Councillors in Fife as they begin thrashing out a budget for the coming year.

£77 million must be saved by 2018; it's hope £29 million of that can be achieved this year.

Council leader David Ross admits the next three years will be some of the most difficult because of cuts from central government:

A large-scale demonstration has been held outside Fife House where union members called for an end to spending cuts.

John Gillespie is from Unite:

Key spending decisions:

• £100 million will be spent over the next three years investing in new and existing schools, including Viewforth, Waid Academy and Madras.
• £18million will be channelled into replacing care homes.
• £23 million into maintaining roads.
• £11 million in social care for adults and older people with a reinvestment of £2 million in efficiency savings. This will be matched with an additional £6m from the Scottish Government through NHS Fife.
• £14 million more in caring for children and young people.