HYNDBURN householders face a council tax rise of up to 3.6 per cent after next year’s budget plans were laid out at Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.

Under the proposals, the increase for most residents in the borough would be £36.40 a year or 70p per week.

Council leader Peter Britcliffe commended the budget – which is subject to small changes and discussion by the full council.

He pointed out that the rises were inside the five per cent Government guidelines despite a background of reduced support from the Exchequer.

The borough council hike equates to 20p per week, with the remaining 50p accounted for by Lancashire County Council and police and fire services – whose figures have not been formally confirmed.

Councillor Britcliffe said: “At this time of doom and gloom for our economy, at least here in Hyndburn we have ensured that the overall increase in council tax will remain below the rate of inflation, which is good news for every resident in this borough who pays council tax.”

He pledged to deliver £1M in efficiency savings in order to balance the budget, while claiming that a 2.5 per cent increase in Government grant would just about cover the council’s extra costs in fuel bills.

He also pledged the council would not be introducing town centre parking charges.

Finance spokeswoman Councillor Marlene Haworth stressed the importance of the council’s “prudent spending” which had led to reserves of £2M being built up.

Budget spending plans include:

  • Over £1.5M on refurbishing and modernising the Market Hall over 12 months.
  • £1.4M to tackle worklessness through apprenticeship schemes, business start-ups and financial support for jobseekers.
  • £135,000 for tackling environmental blight and fly-tipping with extra enforcement measures.
  • £130,000 for allotment sites in Church, Great Har-wood and Rishton.
  • £100,000 for the Com-munity Safety Partnership, which has helped deliver a 20 per cent fall in crime in the borough over the last year.
  • A further £17,000 towards the Floral Market Town initiative.

At the same meeting plans were unveiled for the council’s largest-ever capital spending programme of £16.5M, including £10M on regeneration of the local housing stock, money for parks and sports pitches, and improvements to disabled facilities including access to Church and Oswaldtwistle Railway Station.