FIFE Council's Conservative councillors have called for new approaches to delivering services in the lead up to Thursday's budget meeting.

Its finance spokesperson, Councillor Tony Miklinski, said the "usual formula of cutting services" would be the way forward for the Administration because that was the only way they know.

"They have zero appetite for alternative solutions like partnerships with other Councils or extending the use of the private or third sectors," he said. "In fact, Fife Council has long used these sectors to deliver services from road maintenance through to building services and Care Home places, where nearly 90 per cent of beds are already in the private sector.

"These sectors often offer better value for money delivering comparable quality for significantly less cost. Yet the vast majority of Council services, costing in excess of £300M, are still delivered in house."

The Leader of the Opposition, Cllr Dave Dempsey, added: "We believe that value for money for the taxpayer is paramount. Quality services at the best possible price, and that approach will underpin our Conservative budget.

"The Council should only deliver services itself when it can prove there isn’t a better way. The problem is that neither the SNP nor Labour have the political will to do that. We do, and our budget will demonstrate how.”

Joint administration co-leaders, Councillor David Ross and David Alexander, said they were keen to ensure facilities such as their care homes remained in local authority control.