HARSH decisions are going to have to be made about services in the district over the coming months and years, Selby council has warned.

With potential financial cuts being touted of anything from 20 to 40 per cent, councillors are warning some services will have to be cut or downgraded while accepting that others should be ring-fenced.

Residents will also be invited to offer their opinions on where cuts could be made and where services should be safeguarded.

A spokesman for Selby District Council said it was expected the grant from the Government would be seriously reduced this year.

He said that although it was up to councillors and residents to decide, services which may be thought of as essential included bin collections and housing, while areas where there may be scope for reductions in expenditure could be services like flower-planting.

The council’s leader, Coun Mark Crane, said: “The public sector faces severe financial cuts from 2011/12 onwards, and we’re already exploring how we might protect the services that are so important to the life of our community in the face of an increasingly challenging financial position.

“I want to assure the community what we will build on the strong financial and managerial track record of the past to establish a sustainable base for delivering our services.

“Make no mistake, the challenges we face are severe both in terms of finance and the demands for our services, and we will seek to further reduce our expenditure whilst securing the delivery of services to our community in a cost effective way.”

He said the proposed priorities for the council were reducing expenditure “while maintaining essential services”, working to secure a “sustainable and long-term economic recovery” and increasing the services that local organisations can buy in from the council above statutory levels.

Residents will soon be able to have their say online at selby.gov.uk

People will also be able to give views through their local Community Engagement Forum or JAG meetings over the summer. Voluntary groups, partner organisations and other community leaders will be invited to take part via postal surveys, as will the council’s citizens’ panel.