'Leaving no stone unturned in bid to find savings'

NORTH Tyneside's new Mayor has vowed no difficult decisions will be "ducked" in trying financial times as she pledges to bring further regeneration to the area.

- AUSTEN SHAKESPEARE

The newly-elected Mayor of North Tyneside, Karen Clark says the authority is grappling with 14 years of austerity culminating in a £500m real-terms loss of government funding. One of the council's latest cost-cutting measures included a phased reduction of 200 jobs through voluntary severance, in an effort to save £6.5m on its wage bill. When asked on how the council will continue to deliver services and what comes next for North Tyneside, Ms Clark said: “We are, alongside other local authorities up and down the country, facing significant financial pressures and challenges on our budgets and indeed many loc