JOB cuts, the abolition of grey recycling bags and changes in opening times for tourist sites are on the cards for Monmouthshire.

Today (5th November) Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) will agree to release the new budget proposals aimed at making savings in order to meet the funding gap over the four year period.

Councils across Wales are faced with severe funding cuts due to significant pressures on the Welsh Assembly's budget.

The tourism sector seeks to make a saving of £190,000 in 2015/ 16 through savings or income generation.

This could see the Shire Hall closing on a Sunday during the winter months if no events are being held. It is expected the move would save £69,000.

The mandates suggest reviewing museum opening times particularly around lunch time and weekend closing options.

Volunteering opportunities across the sector would help Tourist Information Centres (TIC) achieve their budget saving target.

Home to school transport could be shaken up with the statutory distances increased from two miles to three miles for secondary schools and from 1.5 miles to two miles for primary schools.

Travel grants could be removed for post 16 students by July 2015 along with an increase in the charge of concessionary seats.

According to MCC the charges should increase from £1.34 per day to £2 per day then by inflation on a year by year basis, saving the council £29,000.

The removal of the grant could save a total of £102,000. MCC officers stated: "The removal of post 16 travel grants may have an effect on what choices are made by post 16 students when choosing further education courses.

"The increase in charge for concessionary seats may be a worry for parents/ students. Increasing the statutory distances will mean that pupils will have further distances to walk to school, introducing pick up points will make parents responsible for getting their children to the pick up/ drop off point or may mean pupils will need to walk to bus stops in the future."

Parents with musical children could be charged double for access to music centres, increasing the fee from £15.50 per pupil to £31, saving the council up to £100,000.

Redundancies could be on the cards for library staff with an assumed reduction of 13 fixed term employments.

The waste management service could also see redundancies with an anticipated staffing review ahead.

The report anticipates a workforce reduction of 13 to achieve the savings proposed.

Controversially, the council are looking to remove the free supply of grey refuse bags.

Residents may once more be asked to use their own black bags, restricted to two per fortnight. This could save MCC £80,000.

The highways department looks likely to be scaled back.

Officials anticipate that "statutory highways functions will continue, but with reduced staff levels."

The leisure services could face job losses through a remodelling scheme. This could see the deletion of two full time leisure centre managers, a deletion of 18.5 hours of a duty office at Monmouth Leisure Centre, the redundancy of a performance and support officer and the deletion of one full time clerical officer.

County Councillor Phil Murphy, cabinet member with responsibility for finance said: "We will discuss the 2015/16 budget proposals at our cabinet meeting after which they will be the subject of member scrutiny and further engagement with residents, businesses and organisations.

"We are working closely with our local communities to help shape a response to the significant financial challenges we face. It is clear from our most recent budget engagement sessions that people care deeply about their local public services and while we will try our hardest to preserve these, things are bound to give and some services will need to change for sure.