MONMOUTHSHIRE council still need to find £10million for their budget over the next three years.

The council has to make a total saving of £20.7million over the next four years and still has a budget gap of £440,000 for 2015/16. Councillors met last week discuss budget proposals for 2015/16 to 2018/19, at the economy and development select committee.

Major pressures indicated by the council include a review of the waste management and recycling service, which they predict could cost £2.1million. This includes using receptacles instead of bags, which would cost between £300,000- £1.3million.

The council estimate a saving of £370,000 through waste changes including saving £8,000 by getting rid of the grey bag scheme introduced in June 2013. The council currently collects two grey bags per household every fortnight, in a bid to reduce waste and increasing recycling.

Caldicot Castle has been flagged as an issue, with £40,000 needed for kitchen modifications to bring up to date and to comply with environmental health requirements. They also estimate £20,000 is needed to strengthen the fire and security alarms and £2m to £3m is needed for improvements to bring the visitors facilities up to standards.

The county’s museums and castles are currently undergoing a heritage report, due to be published next year.

The council thinks it can save £190,000 in 2015/16 across cultural services, which includes £10,000 to be saved from the use of volunteers at tourist information centres.

Councillors at the meeting thought these volunteers – called ambassadors – a good idea, but had concerns on the increase in use of volunteers to run services.

Cllr David Dovey, member for St Kingsmark Ward, said: “Ambassadors are a good idea but they have got to be co-ordinated.”

The council has asked town councils for contributions to run tourist information centres, but Cllr Bob Greenland, deputy leader and cabinet member for leisure, said the best option was to merge them with other services in the form of community hubs.

He said: “I don’t think TICs are sustainable on their own. I believe hubs are the only way forward.

“The sooner we come to that decision the easier it is going to be moving forward. It is not a threat to town councils, as they make the decisions on where to put their money.”

The budget will be considered by Monmouthshire’s cabinet in January and will then go before full council on January 22.