Plans to radically restructure the county council and make cuts of another £68m in Northamptonshire have been condemned by the opposition Liberal Democrats as being a “muddled vision”.

Tory plans to set up four outside bodies to run services and cut 4,000 staff to 150 were approved on Thursday. Liberal Democrat Chris Lofts dismissed the “Next Generation Model” as a “muddled vision” rushed through at the last minute.

The four new specialist social enterprises were to provide child protection, care of vulnerable adults, health and well-being services and economic development. Cllr Chris Lofts said he was also concerned because he believed it was not a plan but a “muddled vision” with no real detail of savings.

They were living on hopes and keeping their fingers crossed, he said.

Fellow Lib Dem Sally Beardsworth said the Conservatives were “hell bent” on pushing through ideas that were at best “embryonic” and the administration did not have a good record on innovation. Plans to transfer the housing stock to a tenants association had taken much longer than planned, she said. “They are facing a steep hill and cannot afford mistakes because there’s no money.”