COUNCIL tax payers in the Ribble Valley could be facing an overall increase of around 8 per cent on the tax next year.

As councillors struggle with tight budgets and a reduction in the standard spending assessment, members of the policy and resources committee heard that the council tax at Band D could increase from £656.29 to £707.52.

But Chief financial officer Mr Marshal Scott stressed the figures were only estimates and needed to be treated with caution. However, his calculations included a 17.5 per cent increase in the Ribble Valley Borough Council element of the tax as well as smaller increases on the parish precepts plus contributions to Lancashire County Council and the Police Authority.

Mr Scott explained that he had written a letter to John Gummer, the secretary of state for the environment, pointing out that he felt the council was being unfairly penalised for not spending permitted levels of cash in the past, and therefore having the standard spending assessment reduced in the forthcoming year.

Councillors have been faced with the possibility of cutting up to 15 council jobs in an effort to balance the books for 1996/97 where total savings of over £400,000 need to be made.

The committee urged the budget working group, which was set up in November when it was obvious that problems were going to arise, to look more closely at ways to save cash.

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