CRAVEN sports clubs will have to recoup huge losses if council chiefs stick to a policy of reducing their discretionary rate relief.

Craven District Council decided to scrap discretionary rate relief for sporting organisations, but will review its policy again next week following an outcry from local clubs who now face rate bills totalling thousands instead of hundreds.

Some of the main organisations affected are Wharfedale RUFC, North Ribblesdale RUFC, Skipton Golf Club and Bentham Golf Club.

Wharfedale Rugby Club, used to enjoy 90 per cent rate relief in the past leaving it with about £800 to meet. However, with the changes to the policy, members now face a bill of £7,280.

North Ribblesdale Rugby Club also got the same discount off its rate bill of £1,966, leaving it with just under £200 to pay. Now it will have to pay the full amount.

And Bentham Golf Club will receive a bill for £3,279 this year and Skipton Golf Club will have to pay £10,984.

Previously, sporting organisations could apply for up to 90 per cent discretionary rate relief. However, back in December 1997 Craven District Council's finance and property committee discussed a review of its policy in respect of sporting organisations.

It proposed that discretionary rate relief would not be granted to a sporting organisation which received 50 per cent of its income through sponsorship, money through gate receipts and income from bar-takings.

This information would be gathered through the inspection of club accounts.

The report added no discretionary rate relief would be granted to any sporting organisation that unreasonably restricted access to members of the public via membership fees and pricing policy on entrance fees.

The council was required to give all concerned organisations a year's notification of the policy and therefore a further report recommending the same measures was presented to council members at a policy and resources committee meeting in February 1999.

The changes, due to be implemented this year, have caused great concern to sports club throughout the district which could face huge increases in their costs.

Trevor Tudor, secretary of Bentham Golf Club, told the Herald: "We would be facing a considerable increase and we would be struggling to say the least to stand it."

Meanwhile, members of the Conservative Group at Craven District Council have said they will not support the changes as they affected the sporting organisations.

Coun Peter Walbank said: "I called an emergency meeting of the Conservative Group last night (Tuesday) and we were all up in arms about this. We strongly object to it as these people are giving help to young folk. They are already doing it on a self-help basis by having a bar and letting people use their facilities to pay their overheads.

"The expenses the clubs face are unbelievable and as there are no sports facilities in Craven apart from the swimming pool, I think it is the least we can do as a council to financially help them. No one in their right minds would allow this."

Coun Shelagh Marshall said: "All sporting organisations make a tremendous contribution to the lives of young and older people in Craven district; one of the best ways the Council can help them is to offer discretionary rate relief."

Vince Green, Craven District Council's Director of Finance, told the Herald that all the sports organisations concerned were sent fresh applications for discretionary rate relief, along with guidance on the criterion needed to be met to qualify.

He added these forms had been collected and due to the concerns raised, a further report was due to be put before members of the council's policy and resources committee on Wednesday.

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