PARISH and town councils across Pendle are being asked to shoulder their share of the government’s financial cut-backs – for a third year running.

Another £15,405 will be lost from the budgets of no fewer than 18 of the grassroots organisations for 2014/15, under plans being considered by the borough’s executive.

This follows similar reductions of around 10 per cent for the parish and town councils for the two preceding years.

This would reduce the allocation for the likes of Nelson, Colne and Barnoldswick Town Councils, to £15,910, £12,841 and £9,999 respectively.

And, at the other end of the scale, the budget for the likes of Roughlee Booth, Barley and Goldshaw Booth would drop to below £2,000.

Even the grant for the annual parish meeting for tiny Bracewell and Brodgen – population 225 – would reduce from £1,500 to £1,275.

The overall budget will be slashed from £101,200 to £86,020, if proposals drawn up for next year’s borough budget go ahead unamended.

Council finance head Dean Langton said in a report: “In view of the expected reduction in grant funding to the council, it is proposed that there is an equivalent reduction in the overall amount of funding for town and parish councils.

“This would mean a 15per cent reduction in the overall grant for each town and parish council.”

But there is some respite for the parish auth-orities from Whitehall - at a cost.

Under each borough’s council tax support sch-eme they will face further losses. However, an additional handout has been created for town and parish councils by the government, to off-set the loss. Barrowford is the major winner, receiving £15,370, Barnoldswick £12,861, Nelson is down for £10,793, and Colne can expect £7,622.