OPPOSITION councillors will propose a further £423,000 in savings to the budget being set by Oldham Council.

The Liberal Democratic Group on Oldham Council has called for extra money to be found to fix potholes, provide more youth services, and tackle crime.

The Opposition will propose the amendment at the next budget meeting on Wednesday, February 28.

Savings, it suggests, can be made by reducing staff car allowances, reducing expenditure on communications and marketing, making council meetings paperless and tackling absenteeism.

Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, the Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group, said: "The Labour administration is once more being forced to make savings and raise Council Tax by a further 3.99 per cent as a result of another cut to Oldham Council’s grant by a miserly Conservative Government wedded to austerity.

"With regret, we will vote to support most of the administration's proposals and the Council Tax rise – but we believe that the pain will be reduced if the Council agrees to the further back-office savings identified in our amendment.

"This will free up more than £400,000 to invest on fixing our roads and other basic services that are valued by local residents."

The Liberal Democrats will propose finding a further £423,000 in annual savings by improving disciplinary procedures, tackling absenteeism, reducing staff car allowances for low-mileage users, and cutting spending on agency staff and consultants.

Further suggestions include significantly reducing expenditure on communications and marketing, scrapping Borough Life, and making council meetings paperless.

They would also invest in bus lane enforcement to fine selfish drivers who illegally use them.

The Liberal Democrats said they would use these savings to service a £5 million loan to improve highways in 2019/20, double the investment proposed by Labour, reverse the £100,000 cut in youth services, and invest £650,000 over two years to tackle flytipping and install alley-gates, CCTV cameras and other crime prevention measures.

Councillor Sykes said: "We recognise that our savings represent only a relatively small amount compared to the many millions that this council has been forced to save, but this modest amount would nonetheless make a real difference to local citizens.

"Once again we are the only group to present an alternative to Labour’s proposals. The Conservatives and others talk hot air but fail to offer any alternative and if I was a betting man I would bet they will vote with Labour as they usually do."