COUNCIL Tax has been frozen for Leigh residents for the ....... successive year.

Wigan Council’s cabinet agreed the freeze and budget savings of £12m for 2015/16 — subject to full council approval next month.

The cabinet also agreed to back businesses by freezing car parking charges on all council car parks and on street parking. The agreement was reached as part of The Deal — a council initiative to continue to freeze council tax in return for residents' help in making budget cuts.

Deputy leader, Cllr David Molyneux, said: “At Wigan Council we have taken a different approach to simply cutting council services. Through The Deal we have transformed how we work and as a consequence we are now in a strong financial position to take up the unwelcome challenge of further cuts in public spending.

“Our residents have supported us through this by fulfilling their side of the Deal by recycling more, volunteering and engaging with the delivery of services.

“It is thanks to them that we are able to freeze council tax and car park charges and provide some financial relief to residents and support to businesses and town centre traders.

“We will continue to work hard to achieve efficiencies in the coming years although like other local authorities we are concerned that the burden of cuts on local government is too great.”

The council has chosen to invest in its apprenticeship programme, its £4m Deal for Communities to support charities and community groups and 20mph road safety scheme.

It has also invested to save money in the long-term for example through the investment of £6m in Wigan Town Hall that will lead to a £1m a year savings.

Paul McKevitt, the council’s director of resources, said the government’s austerity measures means the financial settlement for local government will continue to be severely challenging over the coming three years.

It is estimated the council will have to save a total of £46m by 2018 - adding up to almost £130m over the seven years since 2010.

Efforts to transform council services and deliver savings will continue with five major programmes on-going including radically changing services for children and young people, adult social care and environmental services.

For adult social care the council is working closely with health partners both in Wigan and across Greater Manchester to create savings through closer integration of health and social care services.

The investment in the new recycling programme was also saving £1m a year and has boosted recycling rates by 16 per cent.

Mr McKevitt said: “The council has responded well to the difficult settlements of recent years and has managed shrinking budgets by transforming rather than cutting front line services.

“We have achieved greater efficiency through renegotiating contracts saving nearly £3m this year and in the back office and processing we will continue to find new efficiencies as the council modernises.”