THE price of balancing the books of the Deadwater Valley Trust could be passed to Bordon and Whitehill council tax payers if a recommendation by the townÕs finance and policy committee is accepted.

On Tuesday the committee received a grant request from the DVT for the next financial year.

Although a specific amount was not requested by the trust its figures indicated that it would need £22,500 to ensure that it is not left in the red.

Committee chairman Don Mayes said: ÒIt is a very good job that the DVT do and we are really the umbrella organisation that looks after their interests.Ó

Mr Mayes said that, because it wanted to maintain links with schools and other organisations, the DVT did not charge large sums of money for its services.

As a result, he told the committee, it did not have any real significant income.

The committee chairman suggested that of the £22,500 sums of £4,000 could be taken from the town councilÕs reserves and the remaining £18,500 be budgeted into the councilÕs precept which last year stood at a total of £180,842 - an average of £42 per household.

The committee agreed to include the grant within the budget although it will have to be accepted by the full council when it discusses and agrees the precept next month.

Other funding suggestions to be included in the precept also include cash for a Bordon in Bloom scheme and for a town plan.