Edinburgh Community Newspaper Trust has seen council funding cut by 85% for 2008/09.  ECNT publishes five titles – namely The South Edinburgh Echo, West Edinburgh Times, North Edinburgh News, Gorgie Dalry Gazette and The Chronicle – that are read by 175,000 people citywide.

Local MPs and councillors emerged to voice their opinions on the council's recent decision.

MP for Edinburgh South, Nigel Griffiths, said, "The Echo has been fearless in defending local schools and services from the cuts proposed by the new council. Clearly this outspoken stance has angered Liberal Democrat and SNP Councillors, so they have decided to axe its funding."

Paul Godzik, Labour councillor for Meadows/Morningside said, "I believe the Echo performs a vital role across South Edinburgh, and am extremely saddened at the cut to the Trust."

Southside/Newington's Green councillor Steve Burgess said, "Green councillors opposed the cuts to community newspaper funding proposed by the LibDem/SNP Council Administration at the recent Council meeting. Instead Greens proposed continued funding of the Edinburgh Community Newspaper Trust and argued for this at the meeting.

"Indeed I made specific mention of the valuable work of ECNT newspapers in helping communication between members of local communities. Unfortunately our appeal fell on deaf ears and it seems the cuts to ECNT funding will now go ahead, putting the future of community newspapers in the city under threat.

"Greens hope that this is not the end for Edinburgh's community newspapers but that they will somehow be able to survive and continue provide the glue that binds our communities together and foster that vital community spirit that strong communities thrive on."

Fellow Greens councillor, Alison Johnstone, of Meadows/Morningside, said, "The Green Group of Councillors opposed the cuts, sadly to no avail. We believe that community newspapers like The Echo provide an invaluable service. They highlight really local issues that might not make the city-wide press, alerting communities to issues they might otherwise be unaware of and helping strengthen bonds within these communities."

Liberal Democrat Conor Snowden, of Liberton/Gilmerton ward, said, "The previous Labour Council left the city in a financial mess with no reserves and huge overspends.  The Lib Dem/SNP Council took action last year to bring about stability and we have made the decision this year to prioritise the funding we have on services for vulnerable children and the improvement of our neglected city infrastructure, such as many of our schools and roads.

"Despite the hard work by community newspapers over the years they have not become self-funding as was the plan back in 2004 and this administration has sadly had to take the difficult decision to withdraw funding from the trust which provides a minority of the Echo's funding."

Liberton/Gilmerton's councillor, Tom Buchanan, explained the thinking behind the decision of his party, the SNP, to cut funding to ECNT.  He said, "This year Edinburgh faced very serious financial pressures and as a result the Liberal Democrat/SNP Coalition considered and reviewed a wide range of information leading up to setting the budget. Priority was obviously given to protecting essential front line services and to ensuring that the public purse is spent sensibly; delivering excellent value for money.

"It has never been the intention that community newspapers should be dependant on subsidies from the council to fund their core activities. The Edinburgh Community Newspaper Trust has been well aware for some considerable time that it is their responsibility to place their publications on a secure commercial footing, as is the practice and expectation of most social enterprises. Indeed the ECNT deputation to the Council of 13 March 2008 indicated that such a plan had been prepared and was being taken forward.

"A report to the Council Executive in February 2004 indicated that there was an expectation that the Trust would remain dependent on a grant from the council for only one more year. The report went on to suggest that in future, rather than provide a grant subsidy, the council should consider purchasing space in local newspapers. The report also indicated that the Trust acknowledged the need to change the current arrangements," said Cllr Buchanan.

"Finally, it is worth noting that the whole issue of communications within the council is currently under review and substantial savings have already been identified from within the Council's own publications portfolio."

• This article is an expanded version of the front page article in your April edition of The Echo.   Find more pictures and news each month on southedinburgh.net!