Opening hours at the landmark Library of Birmingham will be slashed next year under the council’s new budget proposals.

Less than two years after the £188 million library opened, about 100 staff could be made redundant as opening hours are cut from 73 to 40 hours per week.

Further library services will be cut back as the council looks to save £1.5 milllion from the £10 million a year running costs, and unions have pointed the finger of blame at the Government.

Details are in a package of £72 million cuts announced by Birmingham City Council today (December 10).

About 1,100 full time jobs are likely to go in 2015/16.

Playing pitches for bowling, football and cricket will be offered to sports clubs or sold off.

Children's centres will be closed and subsidies for community events like the St Patricks Day parade, Eid Mela and Pride will be cut.

A review of community libraries is also likely to see some go.

Labour council leader Sir Albert Bore said that Birmingham was once again bearing an unfair burden of local government funding cuts.

“This is the consequence of those cuts,” he said.

The GMB union said it was “sad and disappointed” to learn of the significant cuts  and warned that essential services would be hit.

Gill Whittaker, GMB regional organiser, said: “ The GMB is concerned that there will be significant budget reductions across the local authority but has particular concerns that there are drastic reductions to essential services.

“As well as expressing anger at the impact this will have on GMB members jobs, the GMB is anxious about the impact that these budget reductions leading to cuts in services will have on the residents of Birmingham.

“This is particularly in light of the government commissioned Kerslake report which states that Birmingham has some of the most deprived and  vulnerable demographics in the country for whom these essential services are a lifeline.”

This story will be updated as the budget is announced further this morning.