COUNCIL tax in Bolton could rise by 4.5 per cent next year, leading councillors indicated last night.

And all departments at the town hall are being asked to find five per cent worth of cuts to prevent the hike being higher.

The forecast — made despite an announcement that Bolton Council will get more money from the Government in annual funding than usual — has prompted criticism of Bolton’s leading Labour Group.

Conservatives and Liberal Democrats said last night that taxpayers would foot the bill for last year’s “election gimmick”, which saw council tax frozen.

Tory leader Cllr John Walsh said: “It’s clear we’re now picking up the consequences of Labour trying to vote-buy last year. We’ve got a 4.5 per cent increase at a time when inflation is falling and service cuts of £8 million leaving the public worse off.”

Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Roger Hayes said: “The cost of an artificially-low, zero per cent increase was always going to have to be found the next year.”

If the 4.5 per cent increase is passed, around £50 will be added to the average annual council tax bill of £1,146 next year, when there will be no local election. A quarter of the council’s £386.7 million budget will be funded by council tax.

Steve Arnfield, the council’s director of corporate services, said that even with the rise, the 5 per cent cuts would be necessary to balance the books.

He said: “In October, we said we needed to make £7.3 million in savings if we set the council tax at 4.5 per cent. We asked all services to find savings of five per cent, which they are currently doing. That will generate £7.8 million.

“The grant settlement we have been told we are getting from the Government is £123.8 million, which is an increase of 3.5 per cent on last year, or an extra £4.2 million. That’s better than the national average of 2.7 per cent.”

Cllr Cliff Morris, leader of Bolton Council, said that departmental savings would not affect front line services.

He said: “We will be seeking efficiencies through remodelling services to develop better ways of working. Providing better value for money does not mean cuts.”

A final decision on the budget will be made in the new year.