SHOULD education continue to be protected? Is street cleaning a priority? Are you prepared to pay more to improve council services? Those are just some of the topics to be discussed when Bury Council takes its budget setting roadshow around the borough over the coming weeks. A series of meetings are planned when local people will have the chance to hear first hand about the council's expected financial position over the coming year.

In the past, consultation has taken place but this time, to allow more people to be part of it, council officials will actually travel around holding meetings at different venues.

The first will be on Monday, January 18, at Bury Town Hall's Elizabethan Suite, at 6.30pm.

On Thursday, January 21, it will be at at Radcliffe High School beginning at 7pm and on Tuesday, January 26, in Bracewell Hall at Prestwich High, with a 6.30pm start.

Additional meetings may also be held at other venues around the borough.

Ideas

Finance spokesman Cllr John Byrne said: "The aim of the meetings is to explain to local people and businesses a little of the background to the budget setting process, where we are now and what we expect our options to be. We have come forward with some ideas, including the possibility of significantly increasing local Council Tax in order to pay for additional services that people are telling us they want.

"However, as a Council we have always tried to involve residents and let them have their say.

"We are also keen to involve people from the voluntary sector and business community and we will be carrying out additional consultations with them."

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