Key services for residents will be maintained as a result of our budget for 2010-11, despite the current global financial issues and a reduction in funding from the Scottish Government.

Our budget will include £104 million for capital projects including improvements to schools, leisure facilities, roads and pavements – notwithstanding recent problems with the severe winter weather - town centres and communities. This will be the second year of a £278m programme.

Speaking ahead of a meeting to agree its new budget, Leader Jim McCabe reassured local people that key services they rely on will not be reduced: "We are freezing council tax levels for the third year in a row which means residents are still paying the lowest council tax in the west of Scotland.

"We have also pledged to achieve £15 million in efficiency savings to help make up the shortfall in government funding this year. That will allow us to prioritise our new budget on maintaining the key services that matter to residents – keeping our communities safe and clean, a high standard of education for our children and care services for the old and vulnerable.

"It is of vital importance to this council that any reductions in the budget do not hit the most vulnerable in our society."

With public spending expected to continue to reduce for the next few years, the council anticipates that it will have to make a further £60m of savings between 2011/12 and 2013/14.

Councillor John Pentland, convener of Finance and Customer Services, said: "North Lanarkshire has a proven track record in managing our resources well, and this year has been one of the most challenging budgets to agree. But we know that the situation will get even tougher as the impact of the recession will be felt for some time yet and that even harder decisions will have to be made in the coming years.

"So we are taking great care to make sure this year's budget is sustainable and will leave us in as strong a position as possible to face the even greater challenges ahead."