THE FUNDING of community schemes by Area Panels has been criticised by a leading councillor.
Last night the Area Panel (South) decided to allocate funding to five schemes amounting to more than £2,500.
However, deputy leader of the council, Councillor Brian Ford (Con, Wroughton and Chilseldon), abstained from all decisions on funding for the schemes.
He said he did not want to vote either for or against funding because he felt that the Area Panel was not the right forum to discuss money matters at a time when the council's budget was so tight.
He said the council must prioritise.
"I sat for four hours last night looking at how to squeeze the budget," he said.
"The amount of money for each scheme considered may not seem very much but when it is all added together it can amount to thousands of pounds."
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