COUNCIL tax bills in Pendle are set to rise between five and six per cent, double the rate of inflation.

Councillors will decide the exact rise on Thursday when all the figures have been finalised and the three parties on Pendle Council have had chance to put forward their budgets.

The council's management team of senior councillors and officers has recommended a 5.7 per cent rise based on provisional figures from the county council and police authority.

That would mean people living in Band A properties, houses valued at below £40,000, which account for two-thirds of Pendle homes, would see their bills rise £35.88 to £664.75 from April. Band D bills would rise from £943.30 to £997.13.

The package would allow £245,000 of investments, such as the REAP recycling schemes in Earby and Reedley to continue and £20,000 to help cover the running costs of CCTV security cameras in Nelson, but would also mean £245,000 of savings would have to be found.

Among the suggested ways of finding the savings are introducing a £6 charge for council workmen to collect bulky household waste such as washing machines and sofas from householders and a new look at closing some public toilets.

Councillors have been given three other budget packages to consider, with possible tax bill rises between 4.8 per cent and six per cent, and each party has been working on its own budget.

The council's estimates sub-committee will meet on Tuesday to consider the figures before a decision is made at a special meeting of the policy committee on Thursday.

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