What about us?

TOWNS around the county have hit out after being short-changed in a £200,000 scheme to improve their communities.

In July a pilot project saw 10 Kettering councillors given £100,000 to identify ways to improve life in their wards, but they have only spent a third of the money.

Next year the county council has decided to give them all another £10,000 but the project will only be extended to another 20 councillors across the whole of Northamptonshire.

The county council has defended the scheme, saying it could not afford to hand £10,000 to every one of its 73 county councillors until the 2008/09 tax year.

In April two county councillors from Corby, three from East Northamptonshire and three from Wellingborough will be offered the money to spend.

The decision means 15 councillors who represent these areas will miss out on a total of £150,000.

The scheme was discussed at a county council meeting yesterday.