EVERY manager at an East Lancashire council has been ordered to cut their budget by 10per cent in a bid to minimise council tax increases.

And Blackburn with Darwen Council's Labour leadership has revealed particular departments will come under scrutiny to see if they provide good value for money.

The ruling group hopes the drive for savings, which senior staff have been told is non-negotiable, will ensure a low council tax rise in April, a month before the first local elections in two years.

Savings would be re-invested into areas where otherwise council tax would have to rise to cover increased costs.

Last year, the council spent £396million, meaning up to £40million should be released by the savings.

Council leader Kate Hollern, said: "These aren't cuts where we are saying the money just simply won't be spent in the future.

"We want every department head to find 10per cent of savings so when we assess our priorities for this year, we can spend extra in specific areas in the knowledge that council tax won't have to rise heavily.

"What we are asking for is efficiency savings which will be re-spent on the services which matter most to people."

A review of how the council's direct services' department, which does things like emptying bins and providing school meals, operates is already ongoing after the catering and housing maintenance department began losing money.

The council is also looking at how many publicity and marketing staff it has, after concerns were expressed that staff in the central press office were finding that staff in individual departments were carrying out the same jobs.

Centralising both depart-ments to make efficiency savings is now likely.

A similar review is taking place within the finance department, while the central policy unit has been asked to explain its wider function.

Coun Hollern said: "We need to make sure that departments are operating as cost effectively as possible and that what they do is relevant to the overall running of the council.

"In the past, I've seen situations where three people have been employed to empty a waste bin in a park.

"That's crazy and I'd rather tackle that sort of thing than charge people more than we have to. It isn't about losing jobs, we want to save money."

Tory group leader Colin Rigby said: "There are plenty of savings to be had, many of which we have been calling for for a long time."

Early savings have included reducing the council's mobile phone bills by £100,000 after a review of contracts.