CRAVEN residents can expect a relatively modest rise in council tax of 2.1 per cent - as against the current rate of inflation (2.5 per cent) but at a cost.

That cost is the scrapping of proposals to employ an additional dog warden to help rid Craven of increasing piles of dog dirt.

The recommendations which will increase the monthly tax on a Band D property from £99.97 to £102.07 (before county and parish precepts have been added) were approved at the council's policy and resources committee meeting on Wednesday.

The proposal to approve a net expenditure of £5,192,450 during 2000-2001 but drop the additional dog warden was put forward by Coun Shelagh Marshall.

Coun Robert Heseltine successfully proposed putting an extra £20,000 - an increase of 50 per cent - towards matched funding, which generally goes towards rural employment initiatives.

This amount would not come out of the budget expenditure but out of unused balances.

Though the proposal to scrap the additional warden was opposed by the Liberal and Independent councillors, the recommendation was passed by a narrow majority with an amendment that the situation would be reviewed in six months time.

But many councillors felt they were backing down from one of the most important issues affecting visitors and residents in Craven.

Coun Carl Lis said: "The issue of dog fouling is on top of every agenda at every meeting you go to. The original decision to get another person was agreed cross-party.

Coun Philip Barrett said it was like pulling the carpet from under the people who paid the council tax.

And Coun Beth Graham described the move as "two-faced."

After learning of the proposal, Coun Paul English has described the move as "political suicide by the Conservative Party."

"I have been working with the dog warden since I was elected eight months ago. I have fought all along to get an additional warden which has been agreed by health and housing and community services committees.

"Now an off-the-hoof decision has been made to undo all the hard work. I am disgusted," he said.

A programme to try to make better use of the existing warden is being drawn up by the head of operations, Greg Robinson. He intends to make more use of Anthea's time out of the class rooms and increase prosecutions.

Coun Peter Walbank added: "I feel it is best to see how it goes for six months and then review the situation. It may well be that there have been more prosecutions and that the plan is working."

Summing up her proposed amendment, Coun Marshall said: "I think this is a very good budget for Craven. For an increase of only 2.1 per cent we have CCTV, an increase in matched funding, we hope to spread the use of wheelie bins right across Craven."

The final decisions regarding the council tax budget will be discussed at full council on February 22.

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