DORSET County Council’s cabinet has approved a raft of cuts to bus services.

However, a number of routes previously threatened with the axe have been spared.

The council has been consulting on proposed changes to its bus network in an attempt to trim more than £800,000 from its subsidy.

The changes backed by councillors at a meeting this morning will see a number of routes withdrawn or revised across the county.

However, after officers estimated the savings achieved through changes originally proposed would be £970,000 rather than the £850,000 previously proposed, members decided to reinstate a number of services.

They focussed on key Saturday services and preserving a minimum weekly service for isolated communities as well as earmarking an additional £25,000 for the council’s community transport budget.

Cabinet member for environment Hilary Cox said the whole process had been about trying to achieve the best possible bus service for residents of Dorset in light of the savings that had to be made.

She said: “Having accepted we need the budget savings we had to go out and see how we can provide the best possible service with the budget available to us.”