COUNCILS across the West of Scotland have fixed their budgets for the year from April.

But city residents will have to wait until next week to find out how Scotland's largest local authority plans to balance the books.

West Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire all met yesterday to decide their spending plans for the coming financial year.

East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire agreed their budgets in December and Glasgow, Inverclyde and South Lanarkshire will set their spending priorities when they meet on Thursday.

South Ayrshire has set a three year budget so did not need to hold a meeting to decide spending in the coming year.

Renfrewshire, which agreed to freeze council tax, doubled its cash in the fight against poverty to £6million and doubled its spending on community halls and facilities to £3m.

Care of the elderly, vulnerable adults, children and young people have also been prioritised with a £3m cash boost for the social work budget.

The spending plan will result in 224 new build council houses being constructed at Seedhill, Paisley, Bishopton and Johnstone Castle.

And primary and additional support needs schools who raise cash for charity will have the amount matched by the council up to £500 per school.

Council leader Mark Macmillan said: "The council has remained committed to its priority - to make Renfrewshire the best possible place to live and work."

East Renfrewshire voted to make "significant" changes to the way services are delivered in order to meet a £22million spending gap over the next three years.

But following an extensive consultation with local people, it was decided to scrap plans to close Barrhead civic amenity site and to cut the number of campus police.

Almost half the savings required over the next three years will be achieved by making changes within the council without reducing frontline services.

The budget freezes council tax bills and maintains pupil/teacher numbers next year but will involve a 5% cut in council staff.

Over the next three years, £80m will be invested in building projects for early years, education, health and social care and local communities.

Council leader Jim Fletcher said: "Every change we make will be made with the aim of directing all available resources to frontline services.

"In doing so, we accept it may be better for some local services to be provided by someone other than the council."

Council tenants in West Dunbartonshire will see rents rise by £4.67 a week from April 1 - an increase of almost 7%.

The council says the money will help fund a planned £29m of housing improvements and new homes will be built in Dumbarton and Clydebank.

Housing convener David McBride said: "The council has made a commitment to significantly improve its housing and the services it provides to residents and the main way to do that is by increasing rent levels and improving the efficiency of our services.

"I appreciate rent rises are always difficult but I can assure tenants we have done everything possible to keep the levels as low as possible and lower than predicted."

North Lanarkshire is freezing council tax and school meal prices and investing £115m on school buildings and community centres.

Rents will rise by 2.75%, equal to an average rise of £1.54 a week.

Councillor Jim McCabe, leader of North Lanarkshire Council, said: "We have set a balanced budget, as we are required to do, and, despite years of underfunding from the Scottish Government, we have been able to make some investments.

"But the gun being held to our head by the Scottish Government over teacher numbers is unacceptable. We were forced to retain them but the Deputy First Minister now has to fund the shortfall in our budget which he has created. The people of North Lanarkshire should not be punished further by his political posturing."