WHAT’s changed? That was the response from Tory opposition on Darlington Council to the authority’s new budget cut proposals.

The publication of a revised set of proposals, which will still mean more than £12 million worth of cuts, was greeted with relative indifference with many in the town now seemingly resigned to their fate.

They could still be revised again before councillors agree a final package at the end of the month.

Tory leader Councillor Heather Scott said the council had not looked in depth at some of the concerns raised and questioned whether it was making the “right decisions”.

She said: “Nothing seems to have changed very much from the original consultation. However it is still a case of ‘Watch this space’ and we will no doubt look at this in more detail.”

Duncan Rothwell, a regional organiser with Unison, said the 180 job losses originally proposed by the council in order to make savings had been offset by natural wastage and some voluntary redundancies.

But he said: “These are still jobs being lost. It amounts to people being forced out, while those that are left will be working in underfunded services and under more intense pressure.

“These proposals are still going to massively impact on public services in Darlington.”

Mr Rothwell claimed that the “sums don’t add up” in terms of the anticipated cost of moving the Crown Street library into the Dolphin Centre.

He said: “It will be so expensive to retro fit the Dolphin as required. We also know of examples in London where libraries have been closed and the cost of arranging security for them has outweighed the anticipated saving.”

Gordon Pybus, from Darlington Association on Disability, which promotes independent living, said the council was failing to assess the impact of cuts on individuals.

He said: “My fear is that the job is too big for the council with all the impact assessments that should be done and the need for them to join that information up.

“The voluntary sector has always had to be adaptable but it is getting harder and harder because there are fewer funders out there.

“We will continue to look at different ways of bringing core funding in, not just for one project.

“However I’m worried somewhere along the line something is going to break.”

The Northern Echo approached the Bridge Arts Centre in Yarm Road – which has been given a stay of execution in the revised plans – but was told it was too soon to comment.