AXING town hall management jobs and new charges for using public toilets and car parking at 'key locations' are among a raft of proposals in a budget that aims to tackle what council leader Phil Davies calls the "perfect storm" of Government cuts.

The authority faces a £61m shortfall in 2018/19, but Cllr Davies said his party's budget proposals will allow for crucial additional cash for children’s services.

The plans, announced during this morning's cabinet meeting and now subject to public consultation, include a significant reduction in senior management costs, saving the authority £750,000.

Also on the table is a scheme introduce a charge – around 30p – to use public toilets, rather than closing them. Proceeds will be used to pay for upkeep.

Householders are to be consulted on proposals to introduce parking charges at certain coastal visitors, including Derby Pool and King's Parade in New Brighton; Leasowe Lighthouse car park and 'The Gunsite', North Parade between Hoylake and Meols and South Parade in West Kirby.

Under the proposals, parking charges will be £1 for an hour, £2 all day or £20 overnight.

Cllr Davies said a combination of previously agreed savings, long-term transformational programmes, one-off funding and implementation of council tax precepts will be used to bridge the majority of the shortfall.

The proposals will be considered by budget cabinet in February.

Cllr Davies said the Labour group will focus resources on children's services in a bid to ensure "Wirral's young people are not victims of Tory policies".

The budget will give a £20m boost to the children’s services department which has struggled under the weight of extra demand for help, but is now making real progress to improve.

He added: "We are a responsible, caring Labour administration under attack from a 'couldn't care less' Tory Government.

"We must be pragmatic. We must set a legal budget that protects what we care about most.

"But be under no illusion, if we don’t do this, Government officials will descend on Wirral and enforce cuts with scant regard for local needs or the services cherished by residents.

"This money has to come from somewhere and, as we repeatedly seen this year when we have asked the Government for help, the Tories' response is 'you're on your own'.

"Wirral Council faces budget deficit of £61m and children's services need around £20m to ensure they have the resources needed to protect vulnerable young people.

"What is the response of the Tories? Unlike Labour, their only solution is to cut even more funding from local authorities.

"What we won't allow, is for our services to be cut to the bone simply to meet Government-imposed savings targets.

"Wirral knows what is best for our borough and our residents, not Whitehall.

"This administration has always been clear that the broadest shoulders should bear the greatest burden.

"The vast majority of the measures will bring little or no impact on the quality, availability or scale of council services our residents rely on".

In response, Conservative group leader Cllr Ian Lewis told the Globe: "Today was an opportunity for the leader of the council to cut the £2m spent on consultants, the money he is lending to other councils and the money he is wasting on the Hoylake Golf Resort and Wirral View.

"Instead, he blew it and would rather introduce car parking on our promenades.

"This is now the standard routine for the cabinet – announce the bad news in the week before Christmas and hope nobody will notice."

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Phil Gilchrist said: “In the interests of proper governance, the council must publish the 40 pages of closely-guarded future announcements including the financial vehicles, tidied up and hidden away in this."