WARRINGTON Borough Council's funding plans have received a major boost after it accepted a four-year settlement from Government.

Council bosses insist the move will allow the authority to take 'greater control' in tackling the financial challenges it faces.

The council has accepted the offer of a four-year financial settlement from central Government, instead of an annual one.

The Government offered the settlement to councils with a requirement for them to publish a financial efficiency plan to qualify.

It will help to aid financial planning through to 2020 and is a step towards the phased removal of the Government's revenue support grant for local authorities over the next four years.

Cllr Russ Bowden, executive board member for corporate finance, said: "This multi-year settlement provides a better degree of funding certainty and stability and will allow us to undertake more strategic and proactive planning of services.

"It offers us more control by enabling us to take a longer term view, as well as giving us the opportunity for contingency planning during a period of extreme uncertainty."

To date the council has delivered £90 million in savings but still needs to find another £41 million to bridge the funding gap by 2019-20.