COUNCIL tax bills in Blackburn and Darwen are set to rise by 4.6 per cent - but up to 60 jobs may go.

The council's ruling Labour group has proposed a package of £12.4m cuts and savings but wants to put an extra £1.6m into improvements in its £113.2m budget.

Labour chiefs said the borough increase of 3.9 per cent - less than current inflation at 4.2 per cent - was intended to provide value for money.

But opposition councillors said Labour was making cuts it should have introduced a long time ago.

When the police precept, up 11.37 per cent, and the fire authority's precept, up 4.99 per cent, are factored in, the rise for an average band D property reaches 4.6 per cent - up from £1,319.59 to £1,380.10.

Last year the council's share of the bill went up by 3.5 per cent and overall bills rose by 3.6 per cent.

Band A properties - 65 per cent of those in the borough - will see their bills rise from £879.72 to £920.07.

The cuts include limiting the number of elderly and disabled people who can use key services, but increasing how much income is taken into account when judging how much to charge.

The price of meals on wheels will increase from £2 to £2.83, there will be a 30 per cent hike in school bus fares, and a saving of £30,000 by reviewing the use of community centres.

Fees and charges at leisure centres are also set to increase by five per cent.

The majority of savings will be made from back office efficiencies, including the loss of between 40 and 60 full and part-time jobs.

The Labour group has also set aside £54m to continue with its capital building projects, which includes the £10m Freckleton Street Bridge, the £9m Darwen Leisure Centre development, and a £433,000 Pleasington Cemetery extension.

Tory leader Coun Colin Rigby said his party was hoping to delve into the numbers further before the council tax setting meeting next Monday as some of the figures were "a bit vague."