MORE cuts and higher council tax bills are on the way. Town hall leaders are furious that Bury's financial settlement, just confirmed by the Government, is even worse than originally announced.

Bury's SSA (Standard Spending Assessment, or the amount the Government thinks Bury should spend on education) has been reduced by £29,000. This means the council will have to find that amount in more cuts.

And the actual cash Bury receives from Whitehall - its Revenue Support Grant - has been chopped even further, by £118,000. This is equivalent to an extra £2.10 on council tax bills, on top of the expected eight per cent rise.

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