PLANS to add £300,000 to the coming year's budget have been rejected by Conservative-controlled Teignbridge Council.

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Alan Connett claimed on Friday that the money could be found from extra income the authority expected to receive from Right To Buy house sales.

He wanted it to be used to safeguard services such as public toilets and CCTV.

Cllr Connett also wanted to increase spending on the Rural Aid budget, boost affordable housing, promote free Christmas Saturday parking and put £10,000 into preventing homelessness.

Conservative deputy leader Cllr Stuart Barker said it would be 'very risky' not to put the cash into a contingency budget and that his 'well-thought-out budget' would freeze council tax bills and still deliver services.

The money might also help pay for the proposed £2.6 million widening of Kingskerswell Road which was needed for the expansion on Decoy Industrial Estate and the creation of 500 jobs.

Members at the meeting, held at Forde House, Newton Abbot, failed to support Cllr Connett's amendment and voted through the original budget.

For the full story see next Friday's Mid Devon Advertiser series.