ROSSENDALE has been left the "poor man" of Lancashire after funding for next year was announced by central government.

The council has been given a government grant of £5.9million, up by four per cent on last year.

This compared to a 4.8 per cent increase in Burnley to £11.3million and a 7.6 per cent rise in neighbouring Pendle, which saw its allocation go up from £9.4million to £10.1million.

Rossendale Council Leader Duncan Ruddick said today: "Once again Rossendale is the poor man of Lancashire.

"Our problems are no different to those of our colleagues in East Lancashire.

"Historically this has been a high taxing, low service authority and we are still trying to get out of that.

"But settlements like this don't encourage us a lot."

Ministers have warned councillors they have no excuse for large increases in council tax next April -- and promised to cap any authority which tries to implement rises of more than five per cent.

Finance officers across the area have now begun to work out how much they need to charge council tax payers to make up the difference between the cost of running services and the amount they will receive from government.

Pendle Council Executive member for resources Councillor David Whipp feared the increase could be swallowed up with pressures to introduce free travel for pensioners.

He added: "We're not rubbing our hands with glee just yet."

Rural Ribble Valley got the largest increase of any Lancashire council, a 7.8per cent rise and will receive £3.4million, up from £3.2million this year.

Blackburn with Darwen's annual allocation has gone up from £59million to £61.358million, a rise of 3.4per cent.

Coun John Milburn, executive member for resources, said: "The devil will be in the detail but it is more than we expected.

"It's good news but our job now is to keep council tax rises as close to three per cent as possible."

Lancashire County Council will get £222.149million, 3.1per cent up from £215.450million.

Lancashire Constabulary -- likely to be in its last year before the government merges it with neighbouring forces -- will get £187.1million, up 3.1per cent from £181.3million,

Lancashire Fire and Rescue service will receive a 3.6per cent increase from £30.034million rising to £31.12million.

Both add a precept to final council tax bills to cover their costs.