HASLEMERE'S organisations are expecting to feel the financial pinch with the borough council proposing a freeze on its grants.

Cash-strapped Waverley Borough Council has received grant applications totalling £679,438, but only proposes to hand out £557,943 for revenue funding.

No organisation is to get a larger grant than last year, despite the council's admission that not increasing the grant in line with inflation will cause hardship.

A report with the grant recommendations for the next financial year is due to be discussed on Tuesday by the council's environment and leisure overview and scrutiny committee.

The report explains that massive pressure to save money has led to officers recommending that grants be kept the same as the current financial year.

"Waverley's service officers recognise the high level of community benefit that each organisation provides," it said.

"If more money was available it would be desirable to award increases in grants to many of these organisations."

The report concludes that "given the pressures on Waverley's budget" it was "not possible" to recommend any increases.

Councillors will hear next week that this recommendation will make things difficult for many of the borough's organisations.

"It is appreciated that making no allowance for inflation will be especially difficult for these organisations where there are salary costs," the report said.

Among those affected by the proposed freeze are Haslemere Museum and Haslemere Hall, both of whose recent grant allocations from the borough council have been criticised by many in the town. The museum applied for a £25,000 grant, however officers recommended handing over only £3,000. This is despite the committee's report explaining that vital lottery funding to pay for the museum's education officer will cease and redecoration and maintenance is needed.

Museum chairman Alan Perry told The Herald that although he understood the reasons behind it, he was disappointed with the council's recommendation.

"We are sympathetic and do realise that all local authorities are under financial pressure at this time," he said.

"We had hoped for an increase from Waverley Borough Council because we do, of course, serve a wide area.

"Although no decision has yet been made by Haslemere Town Council, we understand that there is a likelihood that the £10,000 we received last year may be reduced.

"Unfortunately from the museum's point of view, we are losing approximately £40,000 per annum grant income from other sources which specifically supported our educational facility. Any reduction will adversely affect our ability to provide our educational service in the future."

Mr Perry said that the museum would do all it could to help itself but extra assistance was needed.

"As far as I am aware, there are either none or very, very few museums or art galleries that exist without some type of external funding whether it be private or public," he said.

"We are looking at our own fundraising activities and hope to improve those over the coming year, but we must also endeavour to identify either an organisation or individual/individuals to help us with an educational endowment to ensure we can continue with our services to all ages."

Haslemere Hall had applied for a £15,000 grant but officers recommend it be given £4,000. The report also recommends that the council helps the hall "to investigate ways of developing the programme and the audiences with the aim of increasing revenue and the longer-term stability of the venue".

The chairman of the hall, Robert Sugden, told The Herald that he had also hoped for an increase on last year's grant instead of the freeze.

"It will make life more difficult," he said.

Mr Sugden said that costly redecoration was needed as soon as possible, putting extra financial strain on the hall, but he said that staff would need to sit down and look at what it can do.

Other organisations affected by the grant freeze include Sport Haslemere with a £400 grant and Haslemere and District Age Concern with a £42,000 grant.

However, the Haslewey Youth Centre, which applied for a £8,320 grant through the Haslemere Initative, is recommended to receive £2,000 and will be one of only two new organisations to be included on the grant list.

At next week's meeting, borough councillors will have the opportunity to discuss the proposed allocations and recommend any amendments to full council, which will make the final decision.