A 'PENNY-PINCHING' town budget for the next financial year has been slammed as unambitious during a council meeting this week.

With no funds being set aside to improve Edmonds Park, Loyd Rec play area or the town's Christmas light display and the council tax precept rising by 1.5 per cent, some on Didcot Town council were unimpressed by the final figures which were approved.

Opposition councillor Margaret Davies, who abstained in the vote, said: "This is a budget without ambition.

"Funding for future projects has been taken out altogether from £70,000 in the last administration to zero.

"This means that no loan can be taken out to replace Edmonds Park pavilion and the works compound.

"The current administration has no finance in place for a scheme that has already been publicly consulted on.

"Residents, in particular sports clubs, will have had their expectations raised."

She, along with Labour colleague Des Healy, both criticised how the 2017/18 budget fails to address the town's new Christmas light display after they received a number of complaints from residents.

She added: "The new lights are good but too sparse, Didcot has lost its sparkle.

"On top of that, Loyd Recreation Ground changing rooms needs work done, absolute silence on that."

But Conservative Simon Clarke defended the budget and said the town council had many objectives to support the civic hall, Ladygrove lakes, the New Road allotments and pavilion at Edmonds Park.

He said: "Whenever I hear Councillor Davies use the word ambition, what she means is spending other people's money.

"She complains the budget does not have anything in it for the development of Loyd Rec or Edmonds Park.

"That is because we are not sure what we are going to do there and if I were to put in a budget for something that maybe, might be, we do not really know what we are going to do but we are going to pinch some money off people anyway, then she would quite rightly object."

Council tax will rise by 1.5 per cent, the first raise in two years, an increase from £104.95 to £106.54 for Band D properties.

Two years ago the council had spent £69,293 on improving the play area at Loyd Rec but last year and for the upcoming financial year no funds have been allocated for the project.

Money instead has been allocated for the removal of Mendip Heights play area, at a cost of £10,000, and £20,000 worth of play kit to go in at Ladygrove Park.

But leader of the town council Bill Service said he hoped within the next few years the council would be able to bring the precept back down.

Speaking before the full council meeting on Monday he said: "We have been forced into a bit of a corner because the town council does not have any assets per say.

"We have to increase the precept, go cap in hand to the district council and look at section 106 money.

"There are a few prongs to the attack, within the last six months Didcot Garden Town Status has really taken off and that is going to be another funding stream because there will be money for infrastructure."

The council approved the 2017/18 budget and more information can be found at www.didcot.gov.uk