PERSHORE'S Mayor has defended an 18 per cent hike in the town's council tax, saying it is needed for one-off costs, including the new town hall.

Councillor Richard Hampton said meeting Government criteria for quality council status had also contributed to the inflation-shattering increase.

"We have spent the capital, from which we draw interest, to run the council's revenue account," he explained, "We have been investing that in the new town hall: that's the principal reason."

Economic factors had also had an adverse impact, he added. "The interest rates have been falling and so the amount of interest we normally had from the balance of the budget is not available.

"It's a factor of the economic climate of the time." He outlined other reasons for the rise.

"The council decided that it wanted to be a quality council. In order to do that, we had to have a full-time town clerk, which meant that we had to spend at least another third on salaries, because we had had a part-time town clerk.

"There are other things involved, such as a review of the accounting system, which means we now have to employ an external auditor, which we didn't have to do before."

Councillor Hampton justified the council's bid for quality council status by saying it could bring benefits to the town.

"Some of these benefits are to do with the handing down of some responsibilities which are now district council responsibilities to a parish council.

"For example, it might be possible to take over the running of Pershore's Abbey Park. That would then be on the precept of the town council, instead of in the precept of the district council."

He added that the new town hall - due to be officially opened this Saturday(29) - would be an extra facility, bringing benefits for the whole town community, rather than solely for the council.

"This building is in the centre of the town and will be open for the use of all the population," he explained. It's a one-off increase, which enables us to become a quality council."