Ribble Valley Conservative County Councillors Albert Atkinson, Chris Holtem and Mary Wilson all voted with the Conservative group for a zero increase in the council tax proposed by the Conservative leadership .

 At the budget meeting of the Lancashire County Council, Labour, Liberal and Independent councillors combined to increase the council tax by 2.95% and vote down the Conservative proposals. .

 Speaking for the Conservatives in the Ribble Valley, Ken Hind Chairman commented that ‘ In this recession the Lancashire County Council with it’s huge budget of £1 billion has the flexibility to reposition it’s polices, recognise the challenges brought about by the banking crisis plus deep recession and adapt. This means recognising families are struggling and tax increases hit people very hard at this moment as they fear for their jobs, savings and homes.

 ‘ The proposals for a zero increase was achieved by cutting £14.684 million from the budget The principle cuts were made in job evaluation -£5million , not replacing posts lost through natural wastage, reducing capital spending, cutting unnecessary recruitment such as an additional director- £100,000 , cutting County Council publications and making changes in borrowing , capital spending and taking cash balances from reserves .

‘The reductions were achieved whilst at the same time restoring some of Labour’s cuts in particularly sensitive areas - cuts in night care assistants in county homes for elderly, £200,000 in children’s school transport, and £100,000 to examine children for disability. It was proposed to put £5million extra into Children's Social Care fund taken from balances to enable a pilot study, in line Ribble Valley County Councillors vote for zero increase in Council Tax

‘Additionally Labour’s cuts in M65 lighting - £60,000 , winter road gritting -£40,000, lighting inspections -£100,000 were all restored.

‘A further £4million was added for highway improvements projects - 41 of which were identified . A further increase of £100,000 was made to appoint 3 trading standards officers to control sales of alcohol to underage drinkers and investigate loan sharks.

Deputy Conservative Leader County Councillor Atkinson stated after the meeting‘Next year is going to be difficult in the recession, people are hurting so we propose a fundamental policy review across the whole of the County council spending to identify wastage and savings . This will avoid the current administration’s projected over 6 % increase in the council tax next year .’