DARTMOUTH Town Council is looking to hike its council tax by 10 per cent as it struggles to meet difficult demands on its spending.

Councillors are being asked on Monday to approve a budget that would bring in around £200,000.

If accepted, the increase would put an extra £7.50 a year on a band D property in Dartmouth.

But figures still have to be worked out what it would cost the town to take back the running of some assets from South Hams Council and some councillors feel taking on new responsibilities may now prove too expensive.

Projects putting a strain on the council income include a leaking flat roof at the Butterwalk, unexpected work to the Boatfloat wall and repairs to the Guildhall roof.

But the council still hopes to be able to give out around £40,000 in grants next year and maintain its spending on the Guildhall refurbishment.

Cllr Richard Rendle told Tuesday’s meeting of the council’s finance committee: ‘I find it difficult to go for a 10 per cent increase but I realise we are a council in trouble and need to take our respons­ibilities seriously. And we have a duty to convey that information to the general public.

‘However, having any grand ideas of devolution of services on top of that is out of the window.

‘We have to make hard decisions now but it’s still damn tight.’

Cllr Francis Hawke said the council had until January to make a final decision on setting the budget and he urged further meetings to see if savings could be made.

‘We need more time to set the budget and prioritise our spending,’ he said. ‘It hasn’t got to be done tonight. We need to try and draw up new figures and get out of deficit.’

But Gina Coles said they were only ‘talking pennies’ by setting a ten per cent increase.

Cllr Les Barnes expressed reservations about cutting reserves if the council was suddenly faced with an emergency.

He said rather than take on district council assets they should be setting a budget that was needed to run an effective town council.

Chairman Cllr Tony Fyson described it as an ‘emergency situation’ and suggested a small working party including himself, the mayor and deputy mayor be set up try to look into shaving some edges off the spending.

Earlier he had warned the council was not yet in a position to identify with any precision what the devolution of services would cost the town, but they were likely to be substantial, involving new staff and equipment. We are exploring possible sources of income and support for this programme,’ he said.

‘Gross income from newly acquired assets could be in the order of £60,000 per annum but gross expenditure, at least in the first setting up year, could be four times that amount.’

Among the finance committee’s recommendations is a grant of £3,500 to Mayflower 400 for this year and a further £5,000 in 2017/18.