A BOROUGH has abandoned plans to increase cemetery charges and charge for replacement wheelie bins and for the collection of bulky waste.

Pendle Council had proposed the new fees to plug a £1.1million hole in its budget for this year.

But now the government has agreed to give it grants to cover the effect of coronavirus both for the current financial year and the .

Pendle Council leader Cllr Mohammed Iqbal told a meeting of its Policy and Resources Committee on Wednesday this meant the new charges were no longer necessary.

The original plans included a blend of increases in cemetery fees which would collectively generate additional income of 12.1 per cent amounting to £50,000.

Now they will remain frozen for the third year running.

They also included the introduction of a new £15 charge for replacement wheelie bins generating £45,000 a year and a £13.50 fee for the collection of bulky waste by the producing an annual income of £76,000.

Cllr Iqbal said: "The government has promised to cover the costs of Covid-19 and the shortfall in our budget for this year - estimated at £1.1m - and next - which could be £2m

"In view of this we could not see any point in inflicting any more pain on the long suffering people of Pendle and have dropped the new charges."