AXEING a grant for village halls will force some to close, a councillor has claimed.

Durham County Council is considering withdrawing its Community Buildings Grant (CBG), which was worth £1,617 to 163 village halls, community centres and other communal buildings across the county last year.

John Shuttleworth, an independent councillor for Weardale and long-serving treasurer of Rookhope Village Hall, said: “This grant has been given, in one form or another, since the 1950s and if removed will cause the closure of many community centres and village halls throughout the county.

“Durham County Council is destroying the very social infrastructure which it built up. It’s easy to blame government cuts – the top six-figure jobs never disappear.”

In a letter to community buildings committees, the council says it is facing cuts topping £250m by 2019 but has not yet substantially reduced the CBG.

Gordon Elliott, the head of service partnerships and community engagement, says the council is considering withdrawing the grant and “helping centres become self-sufficient”.

“We are committed to continuing our successful work of helping community centres become self-sufficient by providing specialist advice and financial support for projects,” he added.

Consultation closes on Friday, February 27. For more information, call 03000-263-556.