A COUNTY council boss has accused the Prime Minister of engineering a 'giant disconnect' between Whitehall and local government over controversial spending cuts which are set to decimate services across Lancashire.

David Borrow, the authority's deputy leader, has insisted the county council will have to find an extra £22million in savings, on top of the £66million budget reduction already slated to happen.

He told Mr Cameron in an open letter that Lancashire had already found £520million worth of efficiencies since 2010.

County Cllr Borrow, formerly South Ribble's Labour MP, said: "The pressures of demographic growth, an ageing population and other cost pressures means that counties like Lancashire will soon face the prospect of not being able to live within our means.

"I am concerned at the giant disconnect that is emerging between central government and local government.

"Decision taken nationally to cut budget lines as they appear on paper do little to understand the practical challenges of delivering those savings at a local level."

County councillors are being asked to consider budget plans to axe 40 out of 74 libraries, close museums including Helmshore and Burnley's Queen Street and axe a number of subsidised bus routes and the countryside service.

More than 100 county council buildings are under threat, as a property review looks to create a network of neighbourhood centres, which may house several different support services or functions.

Cllr Borrow has stressed also that the £7.8million, generated by raising council tax bills by two per cent, will account for just a quarter of the anticipated £31.5million pressures provoked by social care, National Living Wage changes and National Insurance alterations.

He has accused the government of changing local government funding formulas 'at the last minute' without consultation.

The Department of Communities and Local Government, acting on behalf of the Prime Minister's Office, was unavailable for comment last night.

County Cllr Albert Atkinson, deputy leader of the Conservative group on the county council said: "It is up to Cllr Borrow what he chooses to do but I don't agree.

"The county was left in a mess when we took over from Labour several years ago and it's now up to Labour and their Liberal Democrat friends what happens now."