A MANAGEMENT cull at Burnley Borough Council, which could have saved £150,000 by August, was last night rejected by Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors.

An 11th-hour budget move was proposed by Labour to bring forward a senior management review at the town hall to August, releasing £100,000 which could be spent on the borough's citizens advice bureau, lowering cremation fees and hiring two extra play workers.

But Lib Dem council leader Coun Charlie Briggs said: "Words fail me.

"The hard work has been done over the last few months as the council has made difficult decisions and not one Labour councillor has come to us to tell us what they think."

And Conservative leader Coun Peter Doyle added: "I don't see that this will be possible by August 1.

"All of the senior officers, at head of service and director levels, are on three months’ notice."

The two parties, which are allied at Westminster but no longer in Burnley, voted to reject the proposals at a full council meeting.

Coun Julie Cooper, Labour group leader, said extra funding for the CAB was vital, given the current economic climate.

"The cremation service makes quite a large profit. Do we want to be making such a profit out of people who are vulnerable and recently bereaved?" she said.

Coun Howard Baker said that plans to increase cremation charges from £443 to £511 would see profits rise from £734,000 to £821,000.

Elsewhere it was confirmed there would be a zero per cent council tax increase, in return for a £166,000 government incentive grant.

Job losses including 59 redundancies, 28 posts remaining unfilled and eight positions ending if grants cannot be secured, have previously been announced.

Coun Briggs and Gordon Birtwistle, Burnley MP, had recently successfully argue for an extra £1.74million in extra transition grant funding, following the loss of housing market renewal and Working Neighbourhoods Fund cash.

Coun Margaret Lishman, finance cabinet member, who proposed the budget, said it would protect frontline services for the people of Burnley.