COUNCIL bosses admitted it was heartbreaking to axe school uniform grants, but that more pain is yet to come for city residents.

Yesterday Liverpool council’s ruling Labour cabinet approved another £16m of cuts.

At the same meeting councillors voted to close three libraries, reduce opening hours at 17 others, and cut 76 jobs.

But the council still has to find £4m to plug a £50m hole in next year’s budget.

Council bosses conceded that even though yesterday’s cuts will be painful, even more unpopular measures may still be needed to plug the gap.

And at least another £60m of cuts will have to be found between 2013 and 2015, further compounding the pain.

Deputy council leader Paul Brant said: "The things we are voting on today are heartbreaking options.

"But the people in this city elected us to responsibly balance the budget in the fairest way, and that is what we have tried to do.

"And there is still £4m of cuts still to find in this painful process."

Cutting the school uniform grant means parents on low incomes will no longer receive £20 to help buy a uniform for primary school children or £40 for secondary school pupils.

It will save the council £738,000 hit 24,000 school children.

Stopping free school milk was included in the list of yesterday’s cuts in error but will no longer be axed.

Spending for arts groups reduced by 10% over the next three years.

Charges will be introduced for parking permits for a second or third vehicle and all visitor permits.

And residents will also have to pay for the Bulky Bobs household collection service which is currently free.

The level of charges has not yet been announced.

Developers will also have to pay for advice from the council ahead of submitting planning applications and the number of officials working in regeneration will be reduced.

The council is also planning to introduce a new "partnership" to run Croxteth Hall and Country Park.

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) will see its funding reduced by £200,000 – from £900,000. There will be a review of staffing at children centres which will involve merging management.

The teenage pregnancy service will lose almost half its funding – its £176,000 budget slashed to £76,000.

The Parent Partnership Service which helps families with disabled children will also see its budget dramatically reduced from £258,000 to £150,000.

The cuts come on top of £31m of savings announced in November.

Opposition Liberal Democrat leader Paula Keaveney said: "Surely something less harmful than removing school uniform grants could have been found instead of this particular saving.

"Bulky Bobs is a great service which helps prevent flytipping.

"We fear that charges could simply encourage flytipping and will have knock on costs elsewhere in terms of environmental services.

"We have concerns about reductions in child and adolescent mental health services as we know the vital work that this service does

The council cuts options definitely ruled out and definitely not happening include a number of measures which would have been highly unpopular.

They include removing "substantial" adult social care support and only providing assistance to those classed "critical".

Closing Millies and Prescot Drive residential units for disabled young people has also been taken off the agenda.

Stopping maintenance of parks and gardens, scrapping the school crossing patrol service and winding up regeneration agency Liverpool Vision have also been ruled out.

Funding has been kept for the domestic violence partnership and the anti-social behaviour unit will also be maintained.

The council will be asked to approve the proposals at its next full meeting on January 18.