CASH-STRAPPED councillors have voted through the latest round of cutbacks at Southampton City Council amid dire warnings that they may need to plug another £90m gap in coming years.

The Labour-run council pushed through the budget, which included 226 job losses, a council tax increase and the closure of care services.

But while they stressed many affected workers would be found new jobs, they also spelled out the size of the financial challenge that lies ahead.

After meeting a £31m gap for 2015/16 they now face finding £60m for the next two years and possibly another £30m by 2020.

The cuts, and how the council intends to face them, were fiercely debated during a stormy council meeting yesterday.

Labour finance chief Stephen Barnes-Andrews said he put forward the budget with “great sadness”

with party colleague Andrew Pope saying the council faced a “horrendous situation”.

They clashed with their Conservative opponents, accusing the coalition government led by David Cameron and Nick Clegg of crippling the council with its ongoing funding cuts when demand for some services, such as social care, is increasing.

Deputy Tory group leader Jeremy Moulton accused Labour of “utter incompetence” while party colleague John Hannides said civic chiefs had “turned their back” on elderly, vulnerable and young people.

The Labour majority saw the cuts voted through.

When added to other, already-approved cuts it means almost 300 jobs will be lost at the council this year.

However, Labour stressed that many members of staff may find new jobs within the council, or in the Better Care initiative being set up with the city Clinical Commissioning Group.

The budget also included previously-agreed closures of Woodside Lodge care home, Kentish Road respite centre and day services for people with learning disabilities, as well as public toilets in Portswood and Woolston.

Labour said work has already begun on working out how the estimated £90m gap from 2016/17 to 2019/20 would be found.

They said the council’s transformation programme – aimed at making the authority more efficient and including more online services, selling buildings and integrating services – would help and that £15m of savings had already been found for future years through the programme.

Cllr Moulton branded the programme a “disaster”, saying much more should have been done in previous years.

But council leader Simon Letts hit back saying the number of compulsory redundancies made through Labour cuts was half that of the Conservative- run council in 2010/11 and 2011/12.

As reported, Liberal Democrat spokesman Adrian Vinson had urged council leaders to reject the most “adverse” proposals, saying they could have a big impact on facilities such as the St Denys Community Centre or Portswood district centre.

The Green Party’s parliamentary candidate for Southampton Test, Angela Mawle, also criticised the cuts, arguing that austerity now meant “cutting the very services that keep our country running”.

Trade Union and Socialist Coalition campaigners had called on Labour to resist the cuts and, speaking after yesterday’s meeting, anticuts councillors Keith Morrell and Don Thomas said: “The loss to Southampton will become apparent only when all those services and jobs are gone. It doesn’t have to be like this.”

UKIP’s parliamentary candidate for Southampton Test, Pearline Hingston, said: “UKIP opposes all cuts to services and staff, as this will have a detrimental effect on those losing their jobs, their families and the wider community.”