THE council insists services for vulnerable residents will not take a hit in the next five years despite a funds being as 'squeezed' as ever'.

A total of £74m funding will be delivered to the council from the 2014-15 period from tax alone - a figure set to rise to £82m in 2018-19.

As part of the Growing a Strong Warrington project, cllr Russ Bowden, executive member for corporate resources and assignments, has calmed fears over service cuts and is vowing to continue to provide vulnerable people with crucial support.

"Councillors and residents can see that it has been gloomy - it is not for the council to be just thinking about cuts," he said.

"We know that there are going to be austerity measures in the next few years, as there are now, but we should turn the debate around to be positive and to see what opportunities are there for us.

"It is important to look at how we can deliver services differently - Warrington has a great tradition for voluntary service and we have a really strong third sector here in the town.

"Two-thirds of our money goes on protecting vulnerable people, and we will continue to do that, we will work to ensure those services do not suffer."

Another element of cllr Bowden's vision for the town is to get the public more involved with consultation for the council's budget - a concept he has so far been unhappy with.

"We know there will be an increase in pressure, and factors such as the ageing population will put a squeeze on everything else," he said.

"The yearly consultation gives people the chance to be heard but we only received 21 responses from the public last year - that is poor.

"It does not make me feel good when it is up in full council and I don't want to be in that position again, we need to find the right way to engage with people."

However, even with the pressures of cuts, the pressures of the upcoming election, and the pressure he puts on himself, cllr Bowden is confident he can continue to play an integral role for the town.

"I don't allow things like the elections to get in the way of doing the right things - we have key responsibilities for the council and town," he added.