SUGGESTION that Minehead Town Council should double the money earmarked for a new clubhouse and community hall at Irnham Road recreation ground in order to provide new premises for the town council was rejected last week.

Cllr Terry Venner put forward an amendment to a proposal at last Tuesday’s council meeting to set aside £150,000 towards the completion of the £568,000 new building.

He claimed that if the grant was doubled to £300,000, it would provide a “golden opportunity” to spend money from the sale of the previous town hall on a new purpose-built home for the council.

“The council needs proper operating facilities” he said. “We have a reserve fund for projects.

“This could provide a base for the council at the heart of the community.”

But council clerk Sue Sanders said the reserve fund could only be used for the benefit of the community and so could not be spent in the way Cllr Venner suggested.

“But we’ve got all this money sitting in the bank and we’re doing nothing with it,” Cllr Venner replied.

Colin Johnson, of the Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership, who was updating the council on the project’s progress, said that he thought “there was potential which could, in theory, house the council in the future”.

He said there would be space at the side of the new buildings which could possibly accommodate an extension for offices which would still be connected to the rest of the buildings.

But the mayor, Cllr Jean Parbrook, told Cllr Venner: “Colin has worked extremely hard to secure funding for this project and it has been costed to within an inch of its life. It would be disingenuous for us to do anything other than what has already been agreed.”

Councillors rejected Cllr Venner’s amendment and agreed unanimously to earmark £150,000 for the building, which will be used by Minehead Football Club but also be available for a wide range of social and sports activities.