COUNCIL chiefs have rubber-stamped their budget but faced criticism for failing to reveal exactly how they will save almost £1million.

Members of Eastleigh Borough Council last night gave the green light on future spending plans which will see its budget drop from £10.9million to £9.8million.

But the opposition at full council demanded to know the details of how this will be achieved.

As reported, budget documents do not reveal how reduced spending will be achieved.

The council has not ruled out job losses as part of its efficiencies but says frontline services will be protected.

As reported, financial details for the 2016-2017 budget are contained in a complex 200-page document.

But council Chief Executive Nick Tustian has told the Daily Echo that while people may be looking for the detail they “won’t be able to find it”.

Tory councillors Judith Grajewski and Margaret Atkinson called on the council to be transparent about where the axe would fall.

Cllr Grajewski said: "What we have in front of us is unspecified cuts so we don't really have a budget here to debate.

"We know they'll be cuts but we're not given the detail.

"While the numbers in the budget may add up we have not been told what the cost of this budget will mean for rate payers."

Council bosses also faced criticism from one of their own cabinet members over their borrowing and council tax strategy.

Cllr Suzy Hamel, cabinet member for business, skills and education, also raised concern at the level of borrowing, which at the end of this year will stand at more than £150m.

Cllr Hamel said: "I think if we continue on the level of borrowing we are I must agree with Cllr [Godfrey] Olson that we are living slightly precariously - it's very difficult to know what will happen in the future."

She also said it was a shame that the council had not taken the opportunity to raise council tax slightly given that it would likely be prevented from doing so in future years.

However, other Liberal Democrat members backed the council's strategy.

Leader Keith House said putting up council tax would have been "an easy option" as many councils had.

He said the council had managed to protect services while freezing council tax by working more efficiently in new ways and bringing in income through its properties.

He said the council only borrowed on the basis that its investments could bring in more income.

Cllr House said: "There are no frontline cuts in the budget.

"The way we're making savings is by doing things differently and more efficiently.

"It's all about finding smarter ways of working that will cost less.  We will see a gradual drift down in the number of staff."

Under the 2016/2017 budget, an average band D property pay a council tax charge of £104.70 - the same as last year, which the council says is a real-term cut in council tax for the thirteenth year in a row.

The council expects to bring in £9.2million from council tax, rates and Government grants meaning the council will need to dip into its reserves, taking £544,000 in order to balance the books.

It says its Government grant has fallen 17.6 per cent, from £4.1million last year to £3.4million this coming year and it expects it to fall further.

Incorporated into this year's budget is a £2.7million efficiency target, of which £1million of savings are yet to be identified.