DUDLEY Museum could be among the casualties as the council once again wields its axe to try to make savings of £20million over the next three years.

The possible closure of the borough’s main museum is among a raft of brutal plans drafted by council bosses who are desperately trying to save cash against a backdrop of the loss of £65million in government funding since 2010.

More than 133 full-time jobs across the council are also at risk as part of this year’s budget proposal –and the number is expected to rise to 275 jobs by 2018/19.

A report on the budget says the authority aims to save £8million in 2016/17 and up to £20million by 2018/19 but it will still be facing a deficit of more than £50milion by 2018/19 if further savings are not found.

Councillor David Sparks, cabinet member for finance, said: “None of the proposals in this strategy will be easy and we shouldn’t have to do it.”

He said the plan regarding Dudley Museum and Art Gallery would mean the council could sell off the red-brick building for development into offices or new homes and the treasures within, many of geological importance, could be exhibited elsewhere such as at the archives facility, in a joint scheme with Dudley Zoo or the caverns underneath or at different venues around the borough.

He said: “We need to be a bit more imaginative than we have been in the past.

“Anything that is part of the tradition of the town is tough to alter but it depends on what you put in its place. Dudley and the Black Country has to look to the future not the past.”

Cutting the opening hours at the Red House Glass Cone in Wordsley and at Dudley Council Plus, taking away the grant from the borough’s Centre for Equality and Diversity and dimming and turning off street lights in low risk areas are also on the cards to help save costs.

Street cleansing, the pothole and resurfacing budget, provision of grit bins and gritting vehicles is also expected to take a hit in a budget that looks likely to affect all departments including children’s services and adult social care – the latter of which faces a shortfall of £10million.

Councillor Pete Lowe, leader of Dudley Council, said: “The continued reduction in government funding is making setting a balanced budget to deliver local services extremely difficult. We have to prioritise our resources on the statutory services we have a legal duty to provide. This does mean that we have been left with little choice but to explore new ways of delivering many services.”

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Conservatives, slammed the budget as littered with “small savings designed to cause maximum impact on the electorate”.

While Councillor Paul Brothwood, UKIP Group leader, said: “It’s a very sad budget for Dudley.”

The proposals will go before the council’s cabinet on October 28.