Otley watch group dismisses claim of funding cut (From Ilkley Gazette)

Otley watch group dismisses claim of funding cut

11:00am Monday 25th February 2013 in Local news

Otley Neighbourhood Watch has dismissed claims that its funding has been cut by the Town Council.

Councillor Sandy Lay (Lib Dem, Otley & Yeadon), in a letter to this newspaper, said: “Older people, families and the infirm and vulnerable will suffer as the Neighbourhood Watch support budget is slashed from £3,000 to £0”.

The claim was made as part of a wide-ranging attack on the Labour-controlled town council’s new budget.

But Neighbourhood Watch has stressed it never received town council funding and the £3,000 was a one-off payment to support the town’s first Cold Calling Control Zones.

Pauline Hanson, from Otley Neighbourhood Watch, said: “We want to set the record straight because we haven’t, as the letter claims, been getting £3,000 a year. We fund the local Neighbourhood Watch ourselves.

“The £3,000 was a one-off for the no cold calling scheme and funding for it went directly from the town council to West Yorkshire Trading Standards.

“This was the council saying it would help with this one project. We’ve never had funding, so it can’t be slashed.”