BOLTON’S four opposition leaders have responded to news that town hall bosses must find £31.5 million of savings over the next two financial years.

And it was reported on Saturday that the jobs of at least 124 council workers are under threat, with consultations set to begin after December 3 at a cabinet meeting of Labour-controlled Bolton Council.

The proposals are also likely to mean an increase in the cost to families of school meals, although free school meals for eligible children are being safeguarded.

Other measures include handing the town’s 28 bowling greens — and with it the responsibility and cost for their maintenance — over to users.

A report to councillors will also recommend a 2.5 per cent increase in council tax, made up of a 1 per cent adult social care levy and a 1.5 per cent general levy.

Conservative leader David Greenhalgh said the council needed ‘to think outside the box’ to create revenue streams.

He added: “We do live in unprecedented times in local government, and across the political spectrum, councils of all colours are having to adapt and find new ways of working, and in many cases, are finding ways of reconfiguring services that are delivering better outcomes for their residents.”

“It is important that we remember that the £414 million that Bolton Council receives is not the only funding available.

“Billions of pounds have been devolved to the Greater Manchester Mayor that Bolton should be actively involved in getting its fair share of, and further billions of pounds of grant funding are available from central government, both tackling specific challenges such as homelessness, skills and business, environmental projects, drugs and alcohol abuse, highways and infrastructure etc.

“Conservatives do support the use of reserves, especially when Bolton is sitting on some of the highest reserves in the region. Conservatives will not support an increase in the general levy of council tax. It is unacceptable to keep coming back to residents year on year increasing council tax when what residents receive in return for their council tax, is reducing.”

Liberal Democrats leader Cllr Roger Hayes said that while the budget was only a draft, he found the figures “very concerning”.

He added: “It really is attacking many of the basic services that affect many people in Bolton. Whoever was in charge of the council, it would be a massive problem trying to find these cuts.”

Meanwhile, UKIP group leader Sean Hornby said the cuts left the council in “dire straits”.

“It is the same as story as last year and the past 10 with more cuts to public services,” he said.

“We are now in a situation where Bolton is suffering badly. The services are stretched and we have very little youth provision and very few services that we would normally provide. We are having to rely on volunteers to pick up litter from our streets, which is unacceptable.

“We need a better settlement from central government because there is very little we can do.”

A spokesman for Farnworth and Kearsley First vowed to fight back against cuts in the two towns.

They said: “Our towns have already borne the brunt of savage Tory cuts — Labour has taken virtually everything that Kearsley once had and is now taking what we believe is the last council-funded facility — the bowling green.

“Farnworth has also been systematically run down by Labour and only in the past few years has lost its market and disabled day centre.

“Quite simply, we have virtually nothing to be cut back on — but if Labour does attempt to unfairly target our towns, it will have a fight on its hands.”

The blow comes at the end of an eight-year period in which the council has lost £107 million of government grants which have come at a time when an extra £44 million was needed to meet increasing demand of services like adult social care.