OPPOSITION councillors have urged the Labour-run Bolton Council to take a government offer and freeze council tax for thousands of residents.

Local authorities across the country are being offered a grant from the government, in exchange for not increasing the household bill.

So far more than 114 town halls and police authorities have pledged to freeze the bill, and a further eight will reduce the charge for taxpayers.

The cabinet of Bolton Council will decide whether to accept the offer on Monday, after an officer report explaining the implications is released this week.

But Cllr David Greenhalgh, leader of the Conservatives in Bolton, said it is imperative the council accept the government’s offer – the details for which have not yet been released.

He said: “I think it’s a huge message to send to residents that we recognise that money is better in their pockets, to spend in the local economy.

“In a time when we are reducing front line services, we should not be saying to them ‘you need to be paying more for that service’.

“People constantly complaining about less grass cutting, more potholes, and when the level of service they perceive is reduced, I think it’s absolutely right that the council accept the grant.

“I have no doubt there will be enough one-off money found to allow that council tax freeze to happen.”

Bolton Council was the only Greater Manchester authority to raise the charge last year for residents.

The group voted to increase the charge 1.94 per cent – below the two per cent increase limit, after which a referendum would be required on the issue.

So far this year Manchester, Salford, Wigan and Rochdale have told the Department for Communities and Local Government that they will freeze council tax for their residents.

Deputy leader of the UKIP council group Cllr Paul Richardson said it would be ‘very difficult’ for the authority to justify increasing the tax again this year.

He said: “Bolton UKIP is of the view that Council Tax should be frozen, for this year and next year, and the £43 million of cuts should be calculated on that basis.

“This is one area in which Bolton Council can help the hard-pressed and hard-working residents of Bolton.”

Leader of Bolton Council Cllr Cliff Morris said no decision will be made until the cabinet meeting on Monday.

He said: “We will be discussing this later on this week, and at this stage our report stands at it is.

“We haven’t made a decision about council tax yet and will take the impact of Bolton residents into consideration.”