A SEVERE winter of snow and ice could put the bite on next year's budget to repair roads in Hyndburn, councillors have been warned.

The borough council has received an £182,500 allocation from the county council for its salting and gritting operations.

The figure is £9,400 up on last year's £173,100 allocation.

However, actual spending in 1995/96 totalled more than £258,000 due mainly to higher than average amounts of snow.

Now under a new system, any net overspend by the districts will in future be deducted from the following year's total allocations.

Severe winter conditions could have a potentially serious impact on the funding available for the repair of roads in 1997/98, the environmental services committee was told.

Coun Ken Curtis said : "We are going to be penalised if we overspend. If in doubt you turn out.

"I always put safety first. It looks like the county are putting safety last because of budgeting.

"They never credited us in the past when we had an underspend. If they had I could go along with the overspend business but they can't have it both ways," he added.

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