HYNDBURN Council is to take its budget plans for next year to the people in an unprecedented experiment in the borough.

Members of the cabinet would normally be unveiling their draft budget at this time of the year. But they now propose to stage a series of roadshows in January to inform residents about how council tax is formulated and get their views.

Housing portfolio holder Coun Pam Barton said: "I don't think this has been done before. We feel the residents should have some say and input into the council tax."

Coun Barton also called for a new, double AA banding to replace the A band for some of the lower-priced properties in Hyndburn.

The council's levy on an A band property is currently £111.92. A change of two per cent would bring it to £114.16, while a 12 per cent increase would bring it to £125.35.

Coun Barton went on: "We are going to explain how the budget works, the implications of it and listen to their views.

"I think we will get a better, clearer view of where we need to go with the council tax."

Coun Barton said the Labour Party had inherited a difficult budget set by the former conservative administration. But there was good news with the announcement of an increase in government funding of 9.4 per cent bringing the grant to £12.3million. Members had only expected a four per cent increase.

Coun David Myles said: "If people are given choices of how the money is spent they are likely to take a greater interest. I think people need to realise how much of it is controlled by the county council. The increases they make have a much greater effect.

"I think it's important the public get a grasp of exactly what the situation is. I think this increase of 9.4 per cent has been a saving grace. I think we would have been looking at possibly bigger council tax increase than we are doing if not for that."