Stafford Borough Council's plan to cut its grants to rural communities as part of its attempt to save £1.1 Million has been sharply criticised by a leading Councillor this week.

Speaking after a meeting of the Council's Resources Scrutiny Committee, Church Eaton Ward Councillor Barry Stamp said he was appalled that a plan to cut next year's grants to Parish Councils by 50% was being put forward by the controlling Labour Group.

"Every year the Borough Council makes a grant to Parish Councils to help them pay for services which they themselves provide to residents in the town area. In Haughton and Church Eaton these services include, amongst other things, the provision of children's play facilities, extra street lighting, grass cutting, and general village maintenance. However, with the need to cut spending by over £1.1 Million next year, the Council's Labour Leaders have decided to slash these payment by 50%. At the Resources Scrutiny meeting, I called on the controlling group to look at again at this proposal but got no sympathy. I have argued with this Council for many years that people living in rural communities are paying twice for some of the services they receive - once to the Borough Council and once to the Parish - but have always been told that this is why the grant was paid. By slashing the grant in this way will only mean one of two things - either the Parish Councils will be forced to reduce their services or local residents will have to pay more Council Tax to their Parish. I believe this reduction in grant is just a cynical attempt by the Borough Council to shift any increase in Council Tax away from themselves and onto Parish Councils - an important move at the start of an election year! This proposal will cause major unrest in rural communities who already feel they do not get a fair share of the service cake where the Borough Council is concerned. It does look as if the Council's Labour leaders are quite prepared to abandon rural communities to double taxation for the foreseeable future," said Councillor Stamp.

Under the new Cabinet system, the decision to reduce grants is made by the Labour controlled cabinet and cannot be changed without their full agreement.