COUNCILLORS are being urged to think carefully before raising the precept to pay for a new town hall annexe.

Mr Don Norfolk, from Thirsk, said: "For a number of years Thirsk's precept has been close to the top if not at the top, and we don't like it. Borrowing money will not ease the burden."

The town council faces the task of raising almost £60,000 to replace the annexe after three lottery bids failed. Hambleton District Council gave £10,000 after it was revealed that the existing building could be condemned on health and safety grounds.

About £25,000 has already been raised by the town hall management committee, which has been planning to replace the 50-year old temporary building for years.

The rest has to be raised by Thirsk Town Council and Sowerby Parish Council. The lottery application was for £135,000.

Mr Norfolk told councillors on Monday: "If the town hall income cannot be self-financed, then something is seriously wrong. If you cannot afford to pay for it, do without it. It is not something that should be paid for as a precept. Thirsk is already paying over the odds."

Later, councillors were asked to vote on the project going ahead as laid down in the plans submitted to the national lottery.

Coun Joe Salmon said he was originally against the idea but now felt the council should go ahead.

However, Coun Roger Hall said he couldn't possibly vote in favour. He advocated scaling down the plans, saying the cost was double that of a high quality bungalow in the area. "It seems to me extraordinarily bad value for money."

The chairman, Coun Freda Roberts, said an earlier meeting between Sowerby Parish Council and the town council had decided the management committee would look into ways of reducing the cost of the project, without compromising quality.

Coun Hall said he had heard the cost would be £180,000, but Coun Roberts said the figure was more in the region of £150,000.

Both Coun Hall and Coun Andrew Robinson said they could not possibly vote for it until they knew how much it was going to cost and how the money would be raised.

Coun Robinson said he would be happier if local people were consulted.

Coun Jan Marshall said it might be possible to go ahead without borrowing the money from the Public Loans Board. "Looking at our expenditure and our predicted income for the rest of the year, our balances were £90,000 at the end of August," she said.

She told members they were looking at raising £57,500. "My suggestion is that we could borrow the money from ourselves and replace it in our accounts, rather than paying the loan."

It was agreed to look into this possibility, but the town hall management committee had to come up with a figure first. Everyone except Couns Hall and Robinson voted to go ahead