GRANT-GIVING at Lyme Regis Town Council proved controversial once again, with one councillor declaring: “I’m absolutely disgusted”.

The council was asked to consider funding applications from 26 organisations who had requested a combined £52,038 – almost triple the £17,914 available.

At the extraordinary meeting last Tuesday, councillors considered each application individually and found they had overspent by just over £3,500.

A controversial proposal to reduce all the amounts by 18 per cent to balance the books was voted down.

Most members were unhappy that it would mean grants to three ‘critical’ organisations – Axe Valley Ring and Ride, Bridport and District Citizens Advice Bureau, and Victim Support (Dorset) – would be cut.

A second proposal to slash all the amounts by 21 per cent, with the exception of the three named organisations, was passed.

It left Coun Michaela Ellis ‘fuming’ that some groups would be left with insignificant amounts.

She said at the meeting: “I’m absolutely disgusted. I’m fuming. I hope we get lots of letters of complaint.”

Speaking this week, she added: “I didn’t like the way it was done at the end by cutting everybody by the percentages.

“My biggest concern is those that had small grants were having them cut again. What’s the point of us giving anything if that’s the case?

“I think we should have gone back through and looked at each individual grant and what the grant was for.

“What we are really there for is to give things that will help the organisations and ensure their sustainability.”

Two organisations went away with nothing – Lyme Regis Operatic Society who wanted £2,500 to help with its next production, and St Michael’s Parish Church Flower Festival which requested £500.

Coun Ellis said: “We didn’t give anything to the operatics and that could have a knock-on effect on the Marine Theatre in the long run.

“If the operatics fold that’s another nail in the Marine Theatre’s coffin.”

Councillors are required to declare either a personal or personal/prejudicial interest in any organisations they are associated with.

In a hectic meeting, members were constantly in and out of the council chamber, with discussion often starting before they left the room, and voting on the next item sometimes taking place before they returned.

They failed to agree on a set system for proposing amounts, in what Coun Mark Gage admitted was an ‘imperfect’ system.

Chairman and Town Mayor Sally Holman said: “We are all aware this is not a perfect system of doing the grants and if anyone has a better system to suggest we have plenty of opportunity to talk about it.”

How the money was split

The amount each organisation was given (and amount requested in brackets)

Axe Valley Ring and Ride – £1,000 (£1,000)

Bridport and District Citizens Advice Bureau – £2,905 (£2,905)

Baden-Powell Lyme Bay Scouts – £395 (£2,754)

Lyme Bay Photographic Club – £40 (£300)

LymeNet – £1,953 (£2,472)

Lyme Regis ArtsFest – £158 (£200)

Lyme Regis Community Events – £1,185 (£3,200)

Lyme Regis Development Trust – £2,370 (£4,000)

Lyme Regis Development Trust Property Management – £395 (£1,000)

Lyme Regis Football Club – £790 (£3,500)

Lyme Regis Fossil Festival – £790 (£2,000)

Lyme Regis Gig Club – £79 (£500)

Lyme Regis Girl Guides – £198 (£450)

Lyme Regis Majorettes – £545 (£3,000)

Lyme Regis Operatic Society – £0 (£2,500)

Lyme Regis Pantomime Society – £237 (£600)

Lyme Regis Philpot Museum – £593 (£2,947)

Lyme Regis Taekwondo Club – £166 (£210)

Lyme Regis Youth Football – £395 (£500)

Lyme Youth Arts – B Sharp – £790 (£2,000)

Lyme Youth Theatre – £395 (£500)

St Michael’s Parish Church Flower Festival – £0 (£500)

Town Mill Trust – £790 (£4,000)

Uplyme and Lyme Regis Cricket Club – £395 (£500)

Victim Support (Dorset) – £500 (£500)

Woodmead Halls Management Committee – £790 (£10,000)