HYNDBURN Council will lose almost 45 per cent of its government grants by next year, it has claimed.

In 2010/11, the council said it received £10.6 million, but is only expected to receive £4.4 million in 2015/16 — a reduction of 44 per cent.

Council leader Miles Parkinson said: “I and the other cabinet members have set our budget and our goal remains to protect frontline services but these reductions will have impacts again this year on certain services and employees, if we protect one service then another is impacted worse.”

The council was refused a full efficiency support grant by the government after it ‘did not go far enough’ in its cuts.

Coun Parkinson added: “We have done much this year to share services with other authorities and have looked closely at our expenditure and income streams and we have set a zero per cent rise on council tax for residents.”