PETERSFIELD town councillors have been told to "be realistic" as they face a battle to make their sums add up. It follows a meeting of the finance and general purposes committee, during which its budget for 2008/2009 came up for discussion. Councillors felt that many facilities were currently costing more than they recouped. There was also concern that the proposed budget was not in line with current rates of inflation. Committee chairman Vaughan Clarke said: "We are basically subsidising a lot of this town. A lot of people use the facilities, but some of the facilities do not recoup the cost." Mr Clarke said The Heath, the allotments, the Love Lane playing fields and the old billiard rooms in Sheet were run at a loss. Other areas like the Festival Hall, and the Rose Room in particular, were worth spending money on, he said, because "as the premier hiring out place in Petersfield, it is not up to scratch". He pointed out that the Rose Room had tape on the floor, and that the boiler in the Festival Hall could collapse at any time. Mr Clarke said: "We arrived at this budget, which is incredibly high, but I am not sure how to improve it anymore." Another big problem faced by the council was the unexpected high cost of replacing the windows at the Festival Hall. The initial estimate of £40,000 has now risen to an expected cost of £117,137. Bob Ayer said: "I will not accept the level of precept that is before us. I believe the precept offer on the table is unacceptable to the people who elected us. As councillors, we have got to spend that money wisely." Mr Ayer said a reduction of £44,000 was needed to reduce the precept increase. Hilary Ayer said: "My pension went up by three per cent this year. You are asking me to vote for something that is a lot more than three per cent. "If we have not got enough money to do what we want to do we should set it at a lower figure. If I haven't got enough money to spend at home on a particular week then I go without. I just think we have got to be realistic." Next year's budget had been see as a way for the council to get round to paying for many things that they have meant to do for years. Mary Vincent said: "Every year we have a list of things that are going to happen and they get chopped and chopped and chopped. This year, apparently, we may be getting to do them. I get fed up when people say they are not getting value for money. I think we do our damnedest, but you can cut it down too much." Councillors noted a 19 per cent increase in grounds maintenance bills – some £20,000 up on last year – as one of the big problems the budget faced. Mr Ayer suggested that by transferring revenue to capital funds the necessary cut of £44,000 could be made. Councillors proposed to put the budget paper before full council to resolve it with a vote.
