NEW charges could be levied by civic chiefs in a bid to save vital services across Hampshire.

Cuts totalling tens of millions of pounds were approved by Hampshire County Council to help the authority save a total of £140 million by April 2019.

But the cash-strapped council has already launched an attempt to avoid some of the more controversial cuts by finding new ways of raising money.

Under proposals put forward at yesterday’s meeting, people will be charged £1 every time they visit any of the household waste recycling centres run by the authority.

Members of the ruling Tory group said the pay-as-you-go scheme was the only alternative to closing up to half the tips in a bid to save £1.2 million.

Faced with strong criticism of their proposal to axe funding for subsidised bus services and other transport links, the Conservatives also outlined plans to make pensioners pay 50p every time they use their bus pass and £10 each time a permit is issued or renewed.

They claimed that the revenue raised by the scheme would be used to support public and community transport schemes serving disadvantaged residents.

The county council is also exploring ways of finding enough cash to prevent school crossing patrols being axed.

Council leader Roy Perry said the authority had to achieve a balanced budget by saving £140 million but was exploring ways of meeting its target by raising extra income.

He was speaking at the end of a long debate during which the Tories repeatedly came under fire from members of the Liberal Democrat opposition group.

Lib Dems said many of the cuts would result in bigger bills for other organisations, including the police and the NHS.

As reported in the Gazette's sister paper the Daily Echo, the council is planning to slash its adult social care budget by £56 million as well as spending less money on children’s care and reducing by 410 the number of youngsters going into care by the year 2021.

All the proposals will now be subject to more consultation.