TOWN hall chiefs have called on the Government to allow them to set a ‘deficit budget’ as Bolton Council faces making cuts totalling £39 million ­— with most being made in just 12 months.

The Labour group tabled a motion on the issue at full council and gained cross party support, with all councillors voting for it.

Presently, if councils set a deficit budget it is unlawful and central government reserves the right to take over the running of the authority.

The motion called for that to be suspended as the country battles covid, with the pandemic costing local authorities millions of pounds in lost revenue and costs ­— leading to the unprecedented cuts being planned for Bolton Council.

Labour leader Cllr Nick Peel said: “The council workers in Bolton have been at the forefront of the fight against covid.

“We cannot accept without a fight that some of those same care workers we have clapped must lose their jobs due to an artificial and temporary budget problem.

“The government knows full well we are not living normal times covid accepted jobs, business and in fairness the government has responded to this in a radical way.

“The motion points out to the government its own arguments and asks only for the same leeway to be given to local councils as it gives to itself.”

Leader of the council, Conservative Cllr David Greenhalgh, said: “I will absolutely endorse this. We’ve asked government on a number of occasions whether we can spread this over a number of years.

“We’re hoping the economy will bounce back quickly and to be able to spread that over a period of time and not make the level of cuts that we face today would of course be beneficial to us all.”

He suggested that one possible way would be to use some money reserved for capital expenditure to be used for day to day running costs of the council.

Liberal democrat leader Cllr Roger Hayes said: “We are in favour of a balanced budget but these are extraordinary if not unique times.”

The council will now write to government.