COUNCIL bosses and councillors in Pendle are tonight set to clash over the possible introduction of charges for dealing with rats, waste and stray dogs.

And finance boss Dean Langton is also adamant that new fees should be brought in for replacement wheelie bins, as the authority looks to recoup £146,000 from its £1.2million savings target.

But it remains to be seen whether the proposals will get a rough ride, as a number of similar calls have failed when they came to be debated by councillors.

Councillors have been told that, of the 1,000 to 1,200 call-outs for their pest control service, 80 per cent are for rats, and a service charge of £10 a time could be imposed.

Pendle also remains one of the few authorities that does not charge for the bulky collection of waste – Burnley is said to charge £10.60 and Blackburn £20.

An estimated £70,000 could be saved by the introduction of a £10 charge, according to financiers, not only through the extra custom but by dissuading some from taking up the service.

Further proposals would see a £20 ‘returner’s fee’ imposed on the owners of microchipped stray dogs, which are picked up by wardens.

Another scheme, introduced for only a month in 2010, to charge an administrative fee of £10 plus VAT for replacement wheelies bins, and around half for recycling boxes, could also come back.

Mr Langton, in a report to the borough’s executive, said: “Taken together it is estimated that additional income of £146k could be generated and help contribute towards the saving target of £1.2million for 2015/16.

Another issue under discussion is residents’ car parking permits. Previously, the county council reimbursed districts over any shortfall – which amounted to £8,046 for 2013/14 – but this will not happen in future.