COUNCIL Tax payers in Rossendale will see a rise of under five per cent in their bills for the next financial year.

Councillors set the rise at 4.95 per cent at a special budget meeting of the council last night.

The rise means the Rossendale portion of the tax will be £216.87 or £4.17 a week for a Band D property.

The total bill, complete with precepts from the police, county council and fire authority, will be £1,294.32 for a Band D property.

Council Tax payers in Whitworth will pay higher bills of £1,311.51 for a Band D property because of a precept in the parish.

Councillors have been forced to introduce more than £700,000 of savings to keep the Council Tax bills below five per cent.

Council leader David Hancock, said: "I believe this budget is a significant step towards securing the future improvement of services to the people of Rossendale and for getting our finances on to a sound footing, which will enable us to plan for the future and put the past behind us."

The council also agreed to introduce a three-year financial plan, rather than just planning its budgets year on year, which, they claimed, would allow them to identify priorities for spending.

The strategy means the council has already identified its likely Council Tax rises for next year at 4.43 per cent and the year after of 2.69 per cent.

Coun Hancock said: "The strategy means we will be planning for three years and, in addition, the performance of the council's finances will be checked and monitored as we develop the budget throughout the year."

He added: "The estimates for the Council Tax are based on inflation and government support. The reduction in two year's time is brought about because the reserves by then will have been rebuilt.

"The medium term planning will also avoid the council's reserves falling in the way they have in the past, by making proper planned estimates of expenditure requirements."