NEARLY £8.5 million in council funding is not being correctly allocated according to ward councillors.

At a meeting of the full council on December 13, members of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council raised the issue that grants to improve communities are not being released.

Under the section 106 agreement money is allocated as part of planning allocation or grants to deal with the maintenance and infrastructure of communities in the borough.

A motion raised at the meeting by Bramley and Sherfiled ward councillor, Cllr Venetia Rowland who said that her ward has seen incidents of incorrect scoping of S106 funds.

Cllr Rowland said: “Since I became a ward councillor, I am pleased to see the S106 funds allocated for my ward.

“But in trying to release some of these funds we have come into issues in getting the funds needed to help the community.

“It is not council officer’s money it is the community’s.”

Fellow ward councillor. Cllr Nick Robinson highlighted some of the funds that had been allocated, but not released including allocating money to put a public lift in a single story in a building in Whitchurch.

Cllr Robinson said: “We know there is £2.8 million just sitting thee doing nothing, and it is not gaining any interest if anything it is losing value.”

Leader of the Basingstoke Labour Party, Cllr Paul Harvey agreed with the motion proposer that the process in releasing the funds needs to be looked at in order to provide the best service for residents.

Cllr Harvey said: “It raises the point that local members should be involved in the process of executing where these funds are allocated as we are the ones who know our wards the best.

“We need to see a genuine change in the process from offices to make sure this money is made available.

“That £8.5 million can make a real difference to people’s lives.”

Councillors agreed to send the issue to scrutiny committee to look into how the process can be amended.