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The quality of a music service used by thousands of children and young people will be "greatly affected" after a second wave of controversial cuts were approved, it is claimed.

Redbridge council agreed cuts of £18,350 to Redbridge Music Service at last night's (March 5) budget meeting. 

The planned savings will be made through a retirement-related recruitment freeze starting from this April. 

A demonstration outside Ilford Town hall before the vote invloved parents, campaigners and young service users with instruments playing loudly.

Chairwoman of the group Friends of Redbridge Music Service, Lyn Hammond, presented a petition with 250 pages of signatures opposing a plan for a review of staff terms and conditions, along with a recruitment freeze.

A plans to outsource the 50-year-old instrument and repair service at the John Savage centre in Fencepiece Road, Barkingside, were dropped last month.  

Mrs Hammond said staff were already stretched, with some working for 12 hours and only being paid for four. 

She added: "Reduce the pay and you will reduce the quality. 

"Already teachers do not receive pay for breaks, for travelling to and from work and for concerts.

"This is an attack on teachers."

Joey O' Neil, 18, from Wanstead, conducted the performance and learned to play percussion and the French horn through the service.  

He said: "The service has changed the lives of people from all backgrounds. 

"It helped me improve academically. My teachers of 10 years were the most important people in my life. 

"The quality of teaching will definitely be greatly affected by these cuts." 

Council leader councillor Jas Athwal said the cuts were "born out of necessity".   

In a statement released last month, deputy leader cllr Wes Streeting, said: "I know that some people would like us to say 'no cuts', but local government finances are being hollowed out by central government.

"We're doing our very best to protect front line services, but it's challenging and it would be disingenuous to suggest that there aren't painful decisions coming down the tracks for every department across the Council."