A HAMPSHIRE council is cutting down on grants for worthy causes and celebrations to fund town hall repairs.

Faced with a £120,000 repair bill for the town hall, Romsey councillors have opted to cut back on the amount they spend on Christmas lights and other good causes.

The council voted to raise its share of council tax by 3.44 per cent (£1.20 for a band D property) to £36.09 instead of 11.87 per cent (£4.14 for a band D) which would have allowed the authority to maintain its level of spending on the lights and charity grants.

Voting for the smaller increase means the amount going towards the festive lights will be halved to around £4,000 and the grants pot will also be reduced by 50 per cent to £2,000.

The cuts will only apply for a year as the council tightens its belt while the hall's roof is repaired and central heating system replaced.

The town council finances have also been hit by loss of a £20,000 Council Tax Support Grant from Test Valley Borough Council.

Mayor Peter Hurst said: “You couldn't put up the precept by 11 per cent without saying to the public what sort of savings you were making.”

He added “The town hall is our main source of income and our main asset. We have to look after it.”

The mayor said that he was confident that more money for good causes could be found with future savings and that sponsorship could be found for the lights.

Cheryl Collier, who along with Ian Richards, was one of only two town councillors to vote for the higher precept, said the cuts were politically motivated.

“It's a shame we are be worrying about charging he public £4 extra just because it is an election year. The town council shouldn't be worried about politics.”

She said the cuts would mean the council would be able to do less for the own.

“Last year we gave £500 to the CAB I don't see how we would be able to do that again with a grant pot of only £2,000.”

Mrs Collier added that she thought the council might find difficulty in finding business sponsorship for the lights.

The town hall, which was last reroofed in 1985, suffered in last winter's storms and leaks have caused damp patches to appear in the ceiling of the council chamber.

Buildings Manager Phil Godwin said that guttering also needed replacing and re-pointing was required to keep the building watertight.

The structural work will cost around £90,000 and is due to take place in late May or early June when the 149-year-old hall will be shrouded in scaffolding.

The hall's 30-year-old boiler is also on its last legs and will be replaced during the first half of this year at a cost of £30,000.

Mr Godwin said the new heating should be more efficient and would result in reduced running costs.

Town clerk Judith Giles said the council had £25,000 put aside for repair work and had made a successful bid for a further £25,000 from Test Valley Borough Council's Community Grant Scheme.

The remaining £70,000 would be borrowed from the Government's Works Loans Board and would be repaid over 20 years.