COUNCIL tax payers in Burnley and Pendle are facing an increase of just under two per cent in their bills, and Rossendale could freeze their requirement, as finance bosses prepare to set their budgets.

An increase of 1.9 per cent has been suggested for Burnley, equating to an extra £5 per year for an average Band D house in the borough.

Council leader Cllr Mark Townsend said that the decision had been taken against a backdrop of savings of £2.1million for the coming financial year.

He said: “We have some very tough decisions to make in the light of continuing Government austerity cuts to the amount of money it gives us. We’re being put in a very difficult position by the Government. The savings we have to find are disproportionate and unfair.”

But the authority has already confirmed it will make investments in housing, the Vision Park and the town’s leisure trust.

Council bosses in Pendle have recommended a 1.99 per cent for residents – but councillors have voted for a freeze for six straight years and the decision over finances only usually occurs at the annual budget council meeting.

Town hall directors have suggested making savings of just over £3.4million over the next three years, including using reserves totalling £3.9million, and resulting in a number of redundancies, axing an environmental action group and support for police community support officers, reducing Pendle Leisure Trust’s grant, and charging for bulky household waste collection.

But the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition and Labour are expected to produce their own alternative budget before a final ruling on Thursday.

In Rossendale, councillors are being recommended to freeze council tax bills.

using £180,000 to support the budget, alongside investments in leisure and Rossendale Museum.

This week Lancashire County Council agreed a 1.99 per cent increase, as the Labour administration unveiled a Government-ordered three-year cuts programme of £118million, and performed a u-turn on school crossing patrol reductions.

Tory county councillor Christian Wakeford, who represents Pendle West, said: “When the Labour administration are already looking at reducing road safety schemes in this budget by 25 per cent, to not rule out asking schools to choose between their children’s safety or their education was just outrageous.”