Councillors in a Shropshire village have voted to stump up 10 per cent of a grant for nearly £70,000 to ensure the community hall committee can access the cash.
Members of Bayston Hill Parish Council discussed a letter from the memorial hall committee during the annual general meeting on Monday. Allan Caswell, chairman of the memorial hall committee, had written to the council requesting they agree to pay 10 per cent of £68,200.
The letter said once this pledge had been made the committee could go for the funding to carry out further improvements to the hall.
Councillor Jason Manley said he was concerned about granting the request when the letter, which was not on the official agenda, had only been seen by councillors for a matter of minutes before a decision needed to be made.
He said the cash had not been budgeted for and therefore should go through the official discussion channels.
But councillors heard if the request was discussed as an “urgent item” at the request of the chair a vote could be taken and as a decision was needed immediately the item was urgent.
Councillor Ted Clarke said: “I take the point about us not having the budget for it but I think we could probably squeeze it through if it came to it.
“They have to go back and say they have someone prepared to stump up 10 per cent which is what they need.
“This place is booked every night, it is a really good facility.”
Deputy chair councillor Hazel Jones added: “They want to extend the kitchen and have a better entrance and cloak rooms. It is a good facility they provide for the village. It is fully booked and it does do well for the village.
“We use it and it is booked every day and night.”
Councillors agreed they would give the 10 per cent of funding in return for free use of the memorial hall for parish council meetings in the future until the money has been made back. The meeting heard the council currently pay £388.50 per year to hire the hall.
Clerk Anne Chalkley said she would discuss the item further with Mr Caswell.
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