A WAR of words broke out between opposing parties as Bury Council's budget was set for the next 12 months.

At last week's Full Council meeting, councillors voted to freeze council tax and social housing rents and to reduce sheltered housing heating charges by five per cent.

While senior Tories said they welcomed the council tax freeze, they tabled two amendments.

The group tabled proposals to spend £2 million of the town hall's reserves on improving sheltered housing services and providing more support for people in extra-care housing.

They also put forward a plan to reduce the council's spending on trade union activities by £80,000 a year and to reinstate fortnightly grey bin collections.

Both amendments were defeated.

The Labour-run council revealed that £15.8 million less will be spent in the borough in the 12 months starting in April compared with the previous 12-month period.

Cash will be saved by converting five children's centres into nurseries, making up to 100 town hall staff redundant, restricting staff's access to sick pay, selling off garage sites to housing developers and buying more efficiently.

The decision to freeze council tax means the following bands apply: Band A £1,009.18, Band B £1,177.39, Band C £1,345.58, Band D £1,513.78, Band E £1,850.16, Band F £2,186.57, Band G £2,522.96 and Band H £3,027.56.

Council leader, Cllr Mike Connolly said: "The budget has been prepared against a background of unprecedented economic woes and unprecedented Government spending cuts and yet, if the Tories have their way, then much worse is yet to come."

Bury Conservatives leader, Cllr Iain Gartside pointed out that the council tax freeze was more desirable to Labour because the Government has pledged to give Bury Council a grant which is the equivalent of a one-per-cent council tax rise.

The most heated discussion concerned the question of whether the council should fund trade union activities.

Bury Conservative deputy leader, Cllr James Daly, said: "The trade unions have persuaded Cllr Connolly to give them £80,000 from the revenue budget to the trade unions who don't need the money instead of investing it in services, which could actually benefit people.

"Employ people who actually do something, not trade unionists who don't do anything."

However, Labour Cllr Peter Bury said withdrawing the funding would be more expensive for the council as it would probably face more employment tribunals.