UP to 15 council jobs could be axed following swingeing budget cuts in Burnley, town hall bosses revealed today.

Main potential casualties will be at Burnley Mechanics, where 10 jobs are at risk following last night's council decision to close the arts and leisure complex during the day.

Another five posts could go at Burnley bus station toilets, where a staffing shake-up will cut costs by £30,000.

But Labour leader Stuart Caddy said the council would do all it could to avoid compulsory redundancy and staff would be offered alternative posts.

Voluntary groups felt the wintery blast of Burnley's budget cuts as Labour bosses slashed £41,000 from the help it gives to do-it-yourself organisations.

Over £11,00 was taken from Burnley Play Association and £10,500 funding for Stoneyholme and Daneshouse Playgroup was wiped out.

Support for Albert Street and Top of the Town residents' groups was removed and more than £18,000 for race equality work was deleted.

Council workers won't be cutting the grass as often in Burnley, to save £14,000, and they'll be dead-heading the dahlias, with floral displays in the town reduced to save £7,500.

A £5 charge will be placed on recreational passports -- to provide leisure access to the poor -- to rake in an extra £10,000 and leisure fees generally will rise by six per cent.

But the biggest single casualty in the budget round will be Burnley's flagship leisure centre, the Mechanics, which will open only for performances in future -- daytime closure which will save £90,000 a year. Labour chiefs announced last week that Burnley council's share of the council tax bill will raise by a triple-inflation 7.9 per cent -- but voted themselves a £28,000 pay rise.

At last night's budget meeting, finance chief Coun Peter Kenyon detailed the measures to fit the bill.

He said Labour had ruled out full closure of the Mechanics, the shut-down of Gannow baths, swingeing cuts in after-school play provision and imposing entrance fees at Towneley Hall, following widespread public opposition.

He said the task of balancing the books in 2001had been the hardest for years, with the council initially facing a gap between spending and income of £1.5million.

He told the council Burnley had responded to people's wishes in setting the tax.His move was also defeated.

Coun Roger Frost for the Lib Dems supported the budget, sparking accusations in the council chamber that his party had entered into a pact with Labour to run the hung council.

Combined with the 3.5 per cent increase in county council rate -- which makes up the lion's share of council tax bills -- Burnley householders will pay just 4.5 per cent more this year, taking the demand on Band D householders to £1,043. For the vast majority of council taxpayers -- those living in terraces worth less than £40,000 -- the bill will be £695.