PEOPLE in West Somerset are a step closer to finding out where cuts by the district council are likely to be made.

A confidential draft list of 'savings options' is to be presented to West Somerset councillors, ahead of a private members’ seminar next week.

At the seminar, members will be asked to rank the individual options in order of importance to achieve minimum target savings of £350,000 for the council’s 2011-12 budget.

The outcomes of the seminar will become public on November 23, when the agenda and reports for the cabinet meeting to be held on December 1 are published.

A list of proposed service cuts will be debated at the cabinet meeting.

Cllr Kate Kravis, Lead Member for Finance, said: “Not all of the options in the current draft list will be in the final proposals, so we have asked Members to keep the list confidential.

“Until we have analysed members’ views and have a fact-based final list to debate, we see no gain in adding to the uncertainties faced by services and organisations through unnecessary speculation in these very challenging times, especially as the final proposals will be in the public domain very soon.”

She added: “None of us want to make cuts, but the government’s comprehensive spending review means our budgets will be cut by up to 28.4% by 2015 so we have no choice.”

The list puts forward a total of 63 options, which would save nearly £579,000.

Council leader, Cllr Tim Taylor, said they would aim to limit the impact of cuts on residents and added: “While we are still unsure of the size of the cuts arising from the Coalition Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review, and have yet to be told how the cuts will be phased in, this is an essential exercise in sound financial planning if we are to balance the books next year.”