MARLBOROUGH Town Council is to dig into its reserves to the tune of £60,000 to prevent it having to nearly double its council tax precept next year.

Because of urgent work which needs doing on the town hall and three play areas in the town, the council has found itself with a massive increase in next year's budget.

Councillors were told at a meeting of the finance and general purposes committee on Monday they face a total bill next year of £180,000, despite efforts by committee chairman Coun Joyce White and town clerk Graham Gittins to cut items from the estimates.

Coun Ian Perryman told the meeting money had been allocated to both play areas over the years, but the documentation had been lost. But he assured the council the money was there and it was simply a matter of going through previous minutes to find evidence of it.

He said: "I recommend we reduce the precept from £180,000 to £120,000 by using £60,000 from our reserves. The money is there anyway and it is for the benefit of the people of Marlborough."

But Coun Stuart Dobson said: "I am not happy about this. It is a mistake to take from our reserves knowing they won't be built back up again. I feel the council should invest in property, and every penny taken from reserves reduces our ability to invest."

Coun Marian Hannaford agreed: "It is time we set a realistic precept. If we take money out of the reserves at this rate we will have five years before there is nothing left, and what will councillors do then?"

Last year's precept was £99,000, up from 1999/2000 by £8,000. This will be the first time the town's precept has gone into six figures and is a direct result of urgent work needed on the town hall and play areas at Cooper's Meadow and Rabley Wood in Marlborough, and Jubilee Field in Manton.

It is believed new equipment at Cooper's Meadow alone could cost in the region of £50,000. Town clerk Graham Gittins said he is putting £30,000 a year for the next five years into the fund to refurbish the town hall.

Councillors voted by six to three to use £60,000 from the reserves to keep the precept down. Coun Dobson abstained from voting.