TOWN hall departments at Blackburn with Darwen Council have been set targets to reduce spending by £4.3 million over the next 12 months.

Blackburn with Darwen council is looking to save the money during the first year of going it alone under single status.

Cuts in social services and education were expected to be much higher but the Government has come up with £4.3 million worth of extra funding.

The ruling Labour group originally considered hanging on to a fund to help deal with unexpected problems during the first year of the new council. But finance bosses now say there is enough cash in reserve accounts to deal with any emergencies.

Education, the biggest spending council department, will still have to make savings of £1.8 million followed by education with £955,500 worth of cuts.

Policy and resources will have to find £877,000 worth of savings and regeneration £809,000.

Housing and community services will have to make cuts of £612,000 and leisure, sport and cultural services, the department responsible for libraries, museums and sports centres is looking at savings of £611,000.

But the council is hanging on to £1.6 million which could mean some services could be saved from the axe at the last minute.

Finance chairman Gail Barton said: "This is a difficult time at the moment for the council but we are still confident we can provide a decent level of services for the people of Blackburn and Darwen.

"When we decided to press ahead with unitary status for Blackburn and Darwen we promised services in the borough would improve.

"The residents of Blackburn and Darwen should realise that we intend to stand by those promises."

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