BOLTON council tax bills are going up 8.5 per cent from April after councillors voted to approve the council's budget plans.

Councillor Bob Howarth, leader of the Labour controlled council, said the rise would support major improvement programmes in education and social services -- and pay for up to 50 new police officers on the streets of the borough.

The rise is the highest percentage increase in the last five years and means residents will be paying 36.3 per cent more in council tax than they were in 1998.

However, Cllr Howarth described the council's budget plans for 2003/4 as the best he had ever presented in his 20 years as Council leader.

The opposition parties who voted against the plan, called for better services for less money and more transparency, accountability and democracy in the budget process.

The bill for a Band A home - one of the 55,866 in the borough - will jump by £58 to £743 a year and, at Band D properties, bills will jump by £87.65 to £1,114.71 a year.

The council raised its own bill for council tax payers by 6.2 per cent to inject £78 million into public services over the next year.

On top of that, there is a combined bill of £10 million for Bolton tax payers from the police, fire and civil defence authorities.

Greater Manchester Transport Authority has also set a levy on the ten councils in its area of £109.25m, an increase of 3.8 per cent on last year.

That all adds up to an 8.5 per cent rise for council tax payers in Bolton.

However, Cllr Howarth said Bolton's rise compared favourably to those being introduced by neighbouring councils.

He told the meeting: "Bolton residents have one of the best settlements in the North West.

"In the borough there are new schools opening, new ones being built and more and more nursery spaces being made available.

"We are also seeing more teachers and nursery places and that is on top of a good record already.

"You have to choose whether you want these things and that is the choice we are making."

He explained the rises had been contributed to by Government funding of £24 million for education and £7 million for social services, of which the Council would have to match 25 per cent.

"We are forced to put Council Tax up to get this money but it is something we must take advantage of," he said.

In Wigan, the typical Council tax bill for a band A property will rise 8.9 per cent to £731.90, in Oldham it will go up 11.7 per cent to £812 and residents at the similar properties in Bury face an 11.7 per cent increase to £722 a year.

Cllr Alan Rushton, leader of the Conservative group, said: "We expect value for money. People do feel that services are being reduced and they have to be convinced otherwise.

"Are people satisfied that the streets are clean or that crime is being dealt with? I don't think they are."

Cllr Barbara Ronson, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said that Council Tax was unfair and had become even worse under the Labour Government.

She said: "Council Tax hits pensioners particularly hard. It takes no account of people's ability to pay, a nurse or pensioner can pay more than a millionaire.".