SIX council delegates are being sent to a property summit in the French Riviera - costing taxpayers almost £10,000.

The group will be spending three nights at a hotel in the famous resort of Cannes.

Bolton Council says its presence as part of a Manchester city region delegation could help attract £300 million in investment for the Cultural Quarter development around Le Mans Crescent.

But Unison has hit out at this use of taxpayers' money at a time when the council has just approved savings and cuts worth £10.6 million for the next financial year.

The cuts include the loss of 202 jobs, many of them in adult services, although the authority says it is hoping to avoid compulsory redundancies.

The party of three councillors and three officers will leave next Tuesday to attend the annual MIPIM (Marche International des Professionnels d'Immobiliers) fair in Cannes at the site of the renowned film festival.

It is billed as the world's premier real estate summit, bringing together the most influential decision-makers in the property market.

The cost of the trip for Bolton's delegation is £8,500 including accommodation at a three-star hotel and the cost of entry to the fair, plus an average of £150 per person for flights, bringing the total to about £9,400.

The party can also claim up to £6 per meal, although some food is provided.

It consists of the spokesmen for development from each of the three parties, councillors Ebrahim Adia, Phil Ashcroft and Barbara Ronson, who are each staying for two nights.

Cllr Ronson's husband and fellow councillor, Bob Ronson, is also attending but is paying his own way.

The councillors will be joined by head of development and regeneration Keith Davies and his colleagues Martin Kelly and Nik Puttnam, who will be in Cannes for three nights.

Bolton Council is refusing to name the hotel at which its delegation is to stay for "security reasons" but confirmed it is three star.

Internet travel sites were yesterday quoting prices of up to £3,000 for the group's stay.

Bolton Unison branch secretary Natalie Mills said: "I think this is quite shocking in the current financial climate.

"We understand there have been difficulties with next year's budget but when you have a limited budget you buy what you can afford. The council's priorities are very difficult to understand and I think they will find this hard to justify.

"I would have thought our members who are threatened with losing their jobs and money through changes to terms and conditions will be very angry and upset."

Cllr Adia, the council's executive member for development stressed the trip was "not a holiday".

He said: "We're going on business and will be very clear in our focus.

"We do not take a decision to go to this kind of event lightly but we want to put Bolton on the map and take our proposals for the town centre, and in particular the Cultural Quarter, to a bigger audience.

"By having councillors from each of the three parties on the trip we will inspire confidence in developers that if there's a change in administration the plans would not fall to pieces.

"The scheme will be better value for money for the people of Bolton if we have more choice and competition among developers."

A council spokesman said the cost of the event had been built into the budget for 2006/07.

She said: "The council's attendance will bring incalculable benefits, as it provides us with an unrivalled opportunity to build relationships and showcase development opportunities available in Bolton to more than 1,600 developers at once.

"It will give us the chance to attract them to invest and develop in Bolton and assist us in our ambition of attracting more than £600 million in investment and 10,000 new jobs to the town over the next 10 years."