COUNTY council savings will top £100million for the next financial year – but 142 threatened subsidised bus services across Lancashire have been saved.

The Labour-controlled administration is proposing a 1.99 per cent council tax rise for 2015-16, equivalent to around an extra 42p per week for the average band D home.

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But controversial £8.93million plans to ditch bus routes to some of the county’s most far-flung outposts, and scrap assisted fares to church schools, have been sidestepped.

In East Lancashire alone at least 48 services were due to be axed, including those serving 16 villages in Ribble Valley, another six in Pendle and five in Rossendale.

Urban areas around Clitheroe, Colne, Nelson, Brierfield and Rawtenstall would also have faced withdrawals.

Originally it was also planned to phase out support for denominational school transport, initially for Year 7 pupils in 2016/17, and for Year 8 in 2017/18, to save £1.54million, before the idea was also dropped following an informal consultation.

County councillor David Borrow, deputy leader of the authority and finance executive member, said: “We have to find unprecedented savings due to a combination of cuts imposed by central government and rising demand for essential services such as social care.

“This means that in addition to the £21m of savings for 2015/16, already identified in last year’s budget, we have identified a further £79.8m of savings to be made this year, a total of £100.8m.”

In just eight years, the county council has carved £547million out of its spending portfolio and there are warnings that further consideration will have to be given to more efficient ways of working.

Cllr Borrow added: “We will do all we can to ensure that we protect the most vulnerable in the county and we are also committed to spending our resources fairly, according to need. “ Further consultations are planned before the budget is finalised at a full council meeting in February.

The proposed council tax increase is just under the level at which councils are capped - any rises above two per cent are penalised by Whitehall.