A COUNCIL tax rise of 4.99 per cent is expected to be approved tomorrow night.

Bolton Council’s ruling Labour group last week unveiled proposals to increase the charge, ahead of Wednesday’s full council meeting.

The proposal to be voted on by councillors is to use a two per cent portion of the increase to fund adult social care and introduce the maximum 2.99 per cent rise on the general levy, in order to generate £1 million extra for children’s services.

Opposition parties will present their counter-proposals tomorrow night.

The Conservative group is expected to support the rise in the adult social care precept, but say that the general levy rise — labelled ‘unjustifiable’ by Tory leader David Greenhalgh — should not go ahead.

Cllr Greenhalgh added that his party would use council cash reserves to make up the gap, saying: “We believe that they are there and can be used.

“We believe that finding that money, when the Labour-run council seems able to find money for things that support its own causes, it totally doable.”

He added that the Tories will propose the use of more council funds for road and pavement maintenance.

UKIP group leader Cllr Sean Hornby said that his party will propose the maximum three per cent rise in the adult social care precept, but no general levy rise.

Cllr Hornby, who added that he would use more resources to tackle anti-social behaviour, said: “That is as big a pill as the people of Bolton can swallow.

“The council does manage to keep finding money for projects that it hasn’t budgeted for previously, such as the Great Lever Library and the Little Lever Health Centre.”

The council meeting starts at 7pm on Wednesday.