COUNCIL chiefs began the new year with sweeping cuts to services in Weymouth and Portland in a bid to beat the cash crisis.

The borough's powerful management committee yesterday began the grim task of picking through a package of measures designed to save £800,000.

The authority's share of the council tax is likely to rise as the council strives to plug a shortfall which could be as much as £1.5 million.

The management committee agreed some savings identified by the budget review panel but asked for more information before it made decisions on others.

Among the items put on hold were a plan to charge visiting disabled motorists for car parking, closing Weymouth swimming pool on Saturday afternoons and shutting some public toilets.

A report was also called for about possible cuts to the design services and highways and traffic management unit.

Councillors decided not to proceed with a proposal to reduce the amount of spending on the town's Christmas lights.

But they did decide to abolish the free parking scheme for shoppers at Christmas, a move that drew an immediate response from Weymouth traders' town centre management group.

Outside the meeting, group chairman David Johnston said: "Originally it was Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce and Industry which successfully negotiated free parking at Christmas which has now become part of an annual package of marketing goodies offered on behalf of town centre traders.

"We acknowledge the circumstances surrounding recommendations for cost cutting and will be discussing this matter at our next group meeting on January 20.

"Naturally we are hopeful of a resolution that will continue to offer advantages to people who choose Weymouth for their seasonal shopping."

Other cuts agreed included reducing costs at the Pavilion, cutting down on the costs of the holiday guide, raising the fees at the crematorium and not locking the gates at Greenhill Gardens at night as the area is now covered by CCTV.

Liberal Democrat leader Coun Brian Ellis said there were other areas where savings could be made which had not been identified by the budget review panel.

He said savings of £10,000 could be made out of £44,000 which is spent on subscriptions to publications and journals and he asked for a report detailing whether the authority should continue to subscribe to the Local Government Association, which costs more than £12,000 annually.