CITY council budget cuts have targeted the wrong people and could hit the city’s more vulnerable residents, community groups warned last night.

Sports leaders, disability groups and residents claimed the £9m cuts package agreed on Monday night could lead to elderly people in Oxford being left isolated and could also spell the end for youth football teams.

The Oxford Mail reported yesterday how a range of services – including pest control for those not on benefits and sports pitches – will now cost more, with many increasing above the rate of inflation.

Oxford City Council defended the budget, claiming it had consulted with residents and taken their thoughts into consideration.

Some parking charges, sports pitch hire and the cost of burial plots will all rise as the council looks to spend £25.7m this financial year.

Services including out-of-hours noise control and street wardens will be reduced, as will grants to community groups, and 110 council jobs will go.

City council spokesman Louisa Dean said the car parking charges where first agreed in January and came into effect last week.

She said: “We consulted on this budget with both residents and staff as well as through Talkback, our citizen’s panel.

“We took into account people’s comments and reinstated youth activities in East Oxford and Littlemore, as well as eliminating charges for street parties.

“We will also be providing more free swimming sessions for young people.

“This has been a tough year for delivering the budget as we have received significant cuts from our Central Government funding.

“However, we have extended our grants to the advice centres which will help people through this difficult financial period as well reinstating the independent housing advice service and protecting our frontline services.”

Government money means the authority’s share of council tax bills will be frozen for the next 12 months, but will rise by three per cent a year from April next year.

Among services to be affected is Noise control. Jean Fooks, Lib Dem county councillor, who has campaigned against cuts to the service, said: "The out-of-hours noise control service will now be restricted, which is a shame. The line is also used to deal with a number of other problems, and all these have been considered low priority now. This is seriously bad news."

Commenting on rises to parking charges, Graham Jones, chairman of campaign group Rox, said: "Raising parking charges is a very poor decision that’s entirely counterproductive. We warned the council 18 months ago raising charges was a mistake and now they’ve done it again.

"What are they trying to do? Drive people away from the city? They will get even smaller returns after this decision, and traders will suffer."