Local authorities will be forced to axe billions of pounds' worth of frontline services in 2011/12, after evidence ob-tained by The MJ suggested ministers' favoured methods of protecting localities would cover just ￡2.1bn from an estimated cash shortfall of ￡6.5bn.Anger over the impact of the coalition's decision to slash council grants by 28% over four years spread to town halls this week, when protestors disrupted council budget-setting meetings from London to Leeds. Birming-ham City Council signed off the biggest cuts in local gov-ernment history -￡212m next year.Residents fear key frontline services will shortly be axed as town halls struggle to balance their books following heavily front-loaded Whitehall grant cuts. The Local Gov-ernment Association (LGA) recently estimated councils faced a funding shortfall of ￡6.5bn in 2011/12.
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