OPPOSITION parties were united in their calls for Bolton Council to use more of its cash reserves at the meeting.

However, three separate budget amendments from the Conservatives, UKIP, and the Liberal Democrats were all voted down.

Cllr David Greenhalgh, Tory group leader, said that an additional 1.8 per cent rise in council tax on top of the three per cent allocated for adult social care was “unjustifiable”.

He suggested allocating a further £2 million from the council’s reserves to fund a council tax freeze, as well as allocating £5 million for road and pavement improvements on residential estates.

The Conservatives also wanted to use more than half of the £2.5 million earmarked to renovate Westhoughton town hall to instead improve Westhoughton’s roads and infrastructure.

UKIP leader, Cllr Sean Hornby, also backed calls for the additional 1.8 per cent tax rise to be scrapped.

He also urged that more reserve funding be used on road improvements and to tackle litter.

Cllr Roger Hayes, Lib Dem group leader, called the council’s cash reserve levels of more than £200 million “a disgrace.”

His amendment called for £500,000 to be spent on tackling homelessness in the borough and for the number of councillors to be reduced from three to two per ward, which he said would result in annual savings of around £300,000.