LIVERPOOL council is bracing itself for £30m of cuts to its budget by the coalition government that could see “frontline” projects scrapped or scaled back.

Officials have calculated that if Liverpool receives a pro-rata cut to its special grants funding, it could lose £28.9m during this financial year.

The cut would amount to a 10% cut to the £282m of special grant funding the council was due to receive this year.

The money, from various government departments, helps pay for a catalogue of projects including the multi-million pound Housing Market Renewal Initiative and Build Schools for the Future.

It also funds projects with young people and elderly residents.

Liverpool gets a bigger share of special grant funding than many other areas because of relatively high levels of deprivation.

Liverpool’s newly-elected Labour administration said until the government had told it where the axe would fall it could not predict the full impact.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said it was hoping to announce further details “shortly”.

Last night, deputy council leader and finance spokesman Cllr Paul Brant said he was “deeply disturbed” by the prospects of the cuts.

Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition, Cllr

Flo Clucas, said there would be pain but it was unavoidable.

She said: “Yes, it’s going to be a very difficult time. Yes, this is going to affect the city.

“But how much more would it affect the city if people start losing their jobs hand over fist?”