Bradford Festival will get thousands of pounds extra for its annual event - in spite of a blazing row at the Council's new Executive Committee.

Tory, Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors were at loggerheads over a recommendation that the festival should get a huge increase in the funding it receives from the Council.

At one point Council leader Councillor Ian Greenwood - who is also chairman - stopped the debate and said: "I am concerned at personalisation. I am not going to have it. It is not appropriate in an executive working together."

Culture, heritage and leisure executive member Councillor Barry Thorne said the money was vital for the festival to pay its health and safety requirements.

But he accused Tories and Liberal Democrats of using the issue as a "political football" when they said they could not approve it because of the sparse information about the company and its business plans in the report presented by officers.

Coun Thorne said it would be an "absolute disaster" for the city if it ran into problems - and the grant had stayed the same for ten years.

But leader of the Council's Tory Group Councillor Margaret Eaton said it was recognised that the festival had reached a plateau in terms of quality, profile and impact and was attended mainly by local people.

She unsuccessfully moved an amendment instructing Council chief executive Ian Stewart to commission a feasibility study into establishing major new arts, culture and entertainment for Bradford.

Coun Eaton said it could be the equivalent of a Northern or Yorkshire Festival Hall.

But Coun Greenwood described the amendment as "pie in the sky". He said: "She is clearly critical of the festival and is in cloud cuckoo land - people from all over the country are coming to the festival. I think the people of Bradford value it and value it a lot."

Leader of the Liberal Democrat group Councillor Jeanette Sunderland said: "There is no real justification for why we should give them this money. Other people like voluntary groups have to jump through many hoops to get it."

But Coun Thorne said the festival should not be expected to pay for the health and safety measures it faced. "It would not seem sensible to cut back on the festival when there is a bid for Bradford to become the city of culture."

The festival will get a one-off payment of £26,000 to meet the health and safety costs of last year's event. It will also receive payments of £48,000 this year and next year to cover the measures.

Payments of £30,000 a year will also be given towards new projects for this and next year's festival.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.