CHORLEY'S Labour group is beginning to see the light at last, claims a leading town Conservative.

Speaking at the full council meeting last Tuesday evening, councillor and Conservative leader Eric Bell gave a guarded welcome to Labour's proposal to keep within the Government's guidelines and impose a 4.5 per cent rise in Council Tax for the coming year.

But Councillor Bell pointed out at the meeting that the 4.5 per cent increase was only achieved by dipping into the authority's balances.

He said: "In the past two years, £1,336,000 of balances has been used to prop up the successive Labour budgets, reducing interest payments and making more money available for public services.

"Chorley people will still be facing horrendous rises in their council bills this April."

The Conservatives claim that tenants in Chorley in even the smallest flat will pay £1.35 a week more in rent and those in three bedroom houses £2.60 a week more.

They also pointed out that Labour colleagues on Lancashire County Council have agreed a rate increase of over 8.5 per cent - nearly twice the Government's recommended rise.

Councillor Bell added: "All this for a massive cut in services - a loss of one million Home Care hours, school buildings left unrepaired and reduced fire cover.

"Even Lancashire's Labour MPs are demanding that David Blunkett insists that the Government's extra money for education actually goes into schools and not into burdensome bureaucracy at County Hall."

"Between the Government, Chorley Labour Council and the Labour County Council, Band D tax payers have gone from £721.17 to £888.00.

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