HASLEMERE Town Council is up in arms over poor local grant support from Waverley Borough Council for the town's groups and organisations.

It has branded the cuts as "disgraceful" and accused Waverley of singling out Haslemere in its latest round of grant recommendations.

At its meeting last week, an angry town council blasted the Liberal Democrat-ruled borough council for its proposed cuts in funding for Haslemere in the next financial year.

The council has demanded an explanation for what it sees as "an incredible bias" in grant recommendations and called on Waverley to explain itself.

The latest victims to fall foul of projected cuts are the Haslemere Hall and Haslemere Museum.

The leader of Waverley Borough Council Chris Slyfield, has blamed the proposed cuts on "a massive black hole" left by the Tories when they lost power last May and a poor government settlement of 0.3 per cent instead of the expected 3 per cent.

The museum and the hall are mainly run by an army of volunteers.

As reported in last week's Herald, the museum is likely to get none of its grant request for £5,000 and the Haslemere Hall is set to receive a great deal less than half of the £5,000 it needs to help it survive.

The level of reserves held by both organisations is the reason given for the recommended sponsorship grant reductions.

"We've been treated as the periphery of Waverley for far too long," said James Mackie.

And he declared: "I think there has been a lot of jealously over The Herons sports and leisure centre."

Stephen Mulliner agreed: "This really is an incredible bias to Farnham; we must ask Waverley some very searching questions."

Councillors were flabbergasted that Farnham Museum is set to receive almost a quarter of a million pounds, an increase of £36,000 on last year's grant, and Godalming Museum is due to get £2,380.

In a letter to Mr Slyfield this week, town councillor Fay Foster also poured scorn on grant recommendations for local halls in the borough.

"Farnham's halls are getting an inordinately large share of the cake. With an income at just £33,000 and expenditure of £102,000, one wonders why the Memorial Hall is allowed to exist at all.

"How can the council justify a grant of £70,000 to a hall that can accommodate only 180, is on the outskirts of the town and according to What's On in Waverley and Create magazines, doesn't appear to be the venue for any of the town's attractions or productions?"

Mrs Foster claimed that Farnham Museum and the two halls, between them "accounted for £333,000 of Waverley's limited budget", while the total for Haslemere Hall and the museum is just £2,000.

"How do you think that looks to Haslemere and Hindhead residents and voters?" she asked Mr Slyfield in her letter.

"Councillors were up in arms and anger is rising in the town. We need answers, and quickly, as to why Haslemere is being treated so shabbily. I look forward to your providing them," concludes Mrs Foster in her letter.

In a letter to The Herald this week, the chairman of Haslemere Hall also criticised the grant cuts.

Describing the hall as the "centre of the social and cultural life of the town", Mr Sugden warned that the viability of the hall "is now seriously at risk".

The sponsorship grants, which provide support for revenue costs for local voluntary and charitable organisations which deliver high-priority services, are expected to be rubber-stamped at Waverley's next decison-making executive committee.