DORSET County Council is set to wield the axe on services again as it looks to balance its books.

With continued reductions in funding from central government, the authority claims it has to find around £11.5million in further savings in the next financial year.

Areas likely to come under threat include the Dorset Road Safe partnership and rural bus routes.

In the current year the authority set a target of saving £15m, of which it claims £1.669m is unlikely to be achieved.

That was after the council had saved around £28m in the 2011/12 financial year, but incessant cuts in funding means the authority is again having to look at ways to cut costs.

Savings totalling £10.9m have been identified in a report to go before the cabinet tomorrow, leaving £600,000 to be found.

More general savings proposed include a review and reduction of the adult services budget to cut £347,000 and a fundamental review of children’s services to save £700,000.

Other proposals include a reduction of £242,000 in resource budgets to support schools, specifically schools causing concern, and a saving of £500,000 through a restructure of learning disability services.

A number of areas where savings are earmarked are identified as carrying risks, including the proposed reduction of funding to the Dorset Strategic Road Safety Partnership of £225,000.

The report to be considered by members states: “This level of reduction will mean that the partnership is unlikely to continue in its current form.”

It adds that there will also be a ‘possible impact on road safety performance’.

For the last three years, Dorset Road Safe had been co-ordinating the high-profile No Excuse campaign in a bid to educate drivers on road safety.

Another area where a risk is identified is a reduction of £493,000 in the Dorset Passenger Transport budget.

The report claims a major review of subsided bus routes is to be undertaken in conjunction with operators and the independent Travelwatch organisation.