PEOPLE in East Lancashire will see minimal changes in their Council Tax as the area’s local authorities have opted to freeze their portion in exchange for Government cash.

On Monday Blackburn with Darwen Councillors voted in favour of a freeze in its portion of the Council Tax bill.

Their decision reflected choices already made by councillors in Hyndburn, the Ribble Valley, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.

Councils which support a zero per cent increase will receive money from the Government’s revenue support grant, but those which opt for a rise face being capped.

Lancashire County Council and fire authority have also agreed to keep their rates at the same level in return for a one-off Government grant.

But members of Lancashire Police Authority have voted for a 2.5 per cent increase in its share, meaning the county’s residents will see a slight increase in their bill.

Coun Andy Kay, executive member for resources at Blackburn with Darwen Council, told a special budget meeting that over the past two years the local authority had made around 1,000 people redundant and saved £33.5m of the £40m target it set following Government funding cuts.

He said the council had to save the remaining £6.5m in the coming year and that around 200 employees on short fixed term contracts were at risk of being axed.

But with Government cuts set to continue until at least 2016, Coun Kay raised fears over officers’ estimates that the council will have to find between £11m and £27m in the subsequent two years.

And he said there were concerns over planned changes to arrangements around Council Tax benefit.

He said: “It is becoming clear that our future exposure to financial risk is increasing.

“Not only from the massive grant reductions and the changes to business rate income, but collecting money directly from people’s pockets is always far more difficult than making provision in an appropriate benefit scheme.

“The risks this council faces in future years because of the Tory led coalition Government’s policies are horrendous.”

Residents in Darwen will have to pay an additional amount of between £10 and £30 because of the Darwen Town Council precept.

Other areas where the bill will be higher due to parish council precepts include: Eccleshill, Livesey, North Turton, Pleasington, Tockholes and Yate and Pickup, The most costly place to live will be the Tockholes ward, where residents in high value homes in Band H will receive a bill of £3,019.64.

Members of Lancashire Police Authority voted to increase the precept by £3.66 rather than taking a one-off £2million Government grant.