PORLOCK Parish council is holding an extraordinary meeting to deal with the threat to services it is facing after Government cuts.

The council's chairman Cllr Alan Wright said the village is at risk of losing its visitor information centre, recreation ground, library and museum.

He said: “We've got a financial problem coming due to a reduction in funding from various sources, so we are going to have to take funding from various things in the village.

“I don't think the council can make these decisions without asking the people what they want.”

As well as cuts from Somerset County Council, the parish is facing cuts to its rate relief from West Somerset Council.

“All this when we are being asked to look at taking over responsibility for things like toilets and street cleaning, ” he added.

He highlighted the knock-on effects the cuts to libraries being handed down by Somerset County Council would have on Porlock.

The parish draws in £7,500 from the rent and rates from the library building.

He said the community has been unable to absorb £11,000 of lost county and district council grants over recent years through cost saving and fundraising initiatives.

As a result, the parish faces a funding gap of around 17 per cent of its £43,000 precept and a rise in council tax is just one of the ways the community is likely to be hit.

Porlock Parish Council's extraordinary meeting will be held in the village hall next Wednesday from 7.30pm.