COUNCILS involved in a turf war with the Scottish Government over teacher numbers have agreed to maintain their present levels, as local authorities face "tough choices" setting annual budgets.

As just under half of Scotland's 32 authorities attempt to balance their books for the year ahead, North Lanarkshire and East Renfrewshire were amongst those confirming they would not cut teacher numbers.

The pair were amongst the 19 councils who had refused to accept a £51million funding deal from finance secretary John Swinney conditional on teacher/pupils ratios being maintained.

Announcing its budget for 2015/16, North Lanarkshire agreed to retain teacher numbers but called on the Scottish

Government to fund the budget shortfall created as a result.

Council leader Jim McCabe said: "Maintaining teacher numbers means a budget shortfall of £4.1million next year for this council. I would expect all members across all parties to support me in my call to the Deputy First Minister (Swinney) to deliver funds to remedy this position.

"He has created this problem. It is surely up to him to solve it without punishing the people of North Lanarkshire further."

Insisting his council will maintain pupil/teacher numbers next year as it looks to save £21million over up until 2018, East Renfrewshire leader Jim Fletcher said: "This has been a difficult budget process but it has not defeated us."

The council is another expected to shed jobs over the next few years.

Falkirk said it was facing a funding gap of around £46m over the next three years, claiming the council tax freeze had led to "an increasing strain on finances that is being met by a reduction or removal of some services".

The council, which has cut £70m over the past eight years, will shut some community halls, change eligibility rules for some services in social work, reduce the amount spent on training schemes for young people, cut litter pick-ups and street cleansing and close pubic toilets. It is also expected to make staff redundant.

Falkirk leader Craig Martin said: "There are no easy savings left. The savings the council is now considering will mean reductions in services and regrettably this will have an impact on our communities.

"We have also looked carefully at our levels of workforce and again are aiming to make savings across the board with voluntary severances being sought."

In Fife, controversial cuts to the school week, with the prospect of children being sent home at Friday lunchtimes, did not go ahead, council leader David Ross claiming the council's Labour administration would not be accepting future cuts in the education budget.

David O'Neill, leader of council umbrella body Cosla, said: "Despite the financial difficulties and extreme budgetary pressures local government feels year on year, Scotland's Councils, based on their individual need and local priority, do their utmost to protect frontline services and ensure to the best of their ability that the service user does not suffer.

"However it is both fair to say and blatantly obvious that this is getting tougher every year and really, really tough decisions are having to be taken by Scotland's councils."

Protesters from the Edinburgh Trade Union Council lobbied councillors in the capital over spending cuts, which they fear will damage local services, as they arrived for the meeting.

In Dundee, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) also held a protest outside the city council headquarters during the budget.

In all, there were 12 councils where members are setting their budgets yesterday, with a number of councils having already gone through the process.

Scotland's largest authority, Glasgow City Council, is part of a group of councils, along with South Lanarkshire, who will not do so until next week.

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