SO Coun Bill Taylor (Letters, March 12) was disappointed by your reports of Blackburn Council's budget debate written by an unbiased reporter in possession of all budget proposals and who listened to the debate - and so he writes his own report.

Once again, he bemoans the fact of government-imposed limits on the council's spending, but lets the cat out of the bag when he tells us that without that restraint, the council's spending would be at £31 million.

That would mean an average of an extra £70 per household on Blackburn's council tax and, since the Labour County Council would also follow suit, the Band D demand would be well in excess of £1,100 - even higher than in infamous Liverpool!

How can anyone faced with that prospect ever consider letting Labour councils fulfil their intent to 'spend, spend, spend?'

The Conservative proposals considered the effectiveness of all services, looking for economies, reducing waste, and getting value for money.

No-one suggested the closure of any community centres, rather that they should be run by the residents with help and support from the council's staff.

The Witton Park centre would be closed only on those days that records show are little used. We do not need a tourist officer when we already support the Red Rose Tourism project - one or the other, but not both.

The advice centre was not to be closed, but simply relocated, with the housing advice in the town hall transferred to the very capable Citizens Advice Bureau, with enhanced funding.

COUN DON HEATLIE-JACKSON, Conservative group leader, Blackburn Council.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.