Parents’ fury at threat to axe classes and repairs

CASH-STRAPPED council chiefs plan to slash their road pothole repair budget – despite spending £10million on revamping their headquarters.

Perth and Kinross Council may also axe swimming lessons, supply teachers and cut its winter roads budget in a bid to make savings of up to £52.3million over the next five years.

Other proposals outlined in a paper to go before councillors this week include closing three recycling centres and increasing music tuition fees.

Scrapping primary school swimming lessons would save £60,000 and councillors propose to halve the pothole repair budget to save £300,000.

Yesterday, parents criticised the targeting of ‘soft options’ to fund a five-year savings plan.

Eleanor Pryce, 42, said: ‘Do the councillors and council staff think we have forgotten how much they spent feathering their own nest?

‘There are not nearly enough supply teachers, so removing that budget entirely is crazy.’

A spokesman for Perth and Kinross Council said: ‘These are all proposals and no decisions have been made on any of them. Final decisions on the budget will be made on Wednesday.’