STEEP villagers should be paying more council tax to fund projects in their own parish claimed the leader of East Hampshire District Council, Elizabeth Cartwright, this week.

She was commenting on an application from Steep War Memorial Village Club for funds to replace 10 wooden windows in the village hall.

East Hampshire District CouncilÕs central area community committee was told that the six sash windows in the hall and meeting room were becoming difficult to open, the woodwork was rotting and the windows were no longer secure. There was excessive heat loss and in winter heavy condensation caused black mould, and cleaning, maintenance and repair was time-consuming.

Members were also told that the four kitchen windows also needed repainting.

The Steep War Memorial Village Club wanted to replace them with plastic double-glazed windows which would eliminate the need to repaint every three years, at a cost of £2,000, and save 20 per cent on fuel bills.

The committee heard that the scheme would cost £7,861 and the management committee was asking EHDC for £4,991 from its Community Initiatives Fund.

Members heard that the district councilÕs community Initiatives Fund would not normally fund more than half the cost of a project. Steep Parish Council had agreed to stump up £250 and Hampshire County Council another £2,620.

But Mrs Cartwright told the meeting: ÒI am extremely concerned that Steep Parish Council is only putting £250 into this project.

Steep Parish CouncilÕs precept is far too low, it is the third lowest in the district, and less than half the average.Ó

The average parish precept, she told the meeting, was £37.68 and Steep Parish CouncilÕs was £14.28 this year.

ÒIn most other villages this project would be picked up by the parish,Ó Mrs Cartwright claimed.

Her proposal that the club should only be given £1,000, and from the central area committeeÕs funds, not the Community Initiatives Fund, was agreed by committee members.

She told treasurer Eric Llewellyn that the district council could also suggest other avenues through which to apply for funding.