A MASSIVE cemetery spending programme has come under fire from Northallerton councillors.

A plan to spend £29,000 on a safety survey has been halved.

And the Joint Burial Committee for Northallerton and Romanby is being asked to look again at an extension scheme being self-financing.

But the move brought a stark warning from town mayor Coun Jack Dobson - who is also a member of the JBC.

He told Monday's meeting of the town council: "For the cemetery to be self-financing would trigger a huge increase in burial fees. And that is not on."

The dispute arose when Coun Tony Hall asked if Romanby Parish Council had been told about an offer from Northallerton councillor Josh Southwell.

Coun Southwell offered to do a free safety survey of memorials in the graveyard as potentially dangerous headstones must be checked as part of a nationwide blitz.

The JBC reckons it needs around £150,000 to extend and make safe the cemetery and the cost will be met through precepts from both areas.

Coun Dobson said he did not know whether Romanby had considered the offer.

He said tenders were being invited for the work but all the details had yet to be pulled together.

"There was some disquiet among JBC members about Coun Southwell's offer and until this is resolved I can't comment further," he said.

"We have legal obligations to bury people and have budgeted for some of the work to start this year.

"The work cannot be financed from burials and other income. To try to do this would mean a massive increase in fees. It can't be done."

He said the JBC had shown a £16,000 shortfall in running costs.

Coun Sally Anderson was worried about falls in the budgets of other committees alongside a big rise for the JBC.

JBC member Coun Rob Kennedy said: "This is a different kind of committee. We are dealing with specific things which we have to do and we can't put them off.

"We have no control over this. As a member I am very conscious of our responsibility to the people of the area.

"People who want to be buried in this town will be buried in this town. If people say it hits their pockets all I can say is, if it was your father and mother who had to be buried miles away would you be so pleased? I don't think so."

Coun Anderson suggested spreading the cost of memorial safety work over two years.

Coun Southwell said: "The town council has already decided the extension scheme should be self-financing and if it can't then the matter should be brought back to us."

He also wanted to put off an extra loan bid for a year because the council will also be applying for money for town hall roof and basement repairs.

Coun Anderson proposed to halve the memorial work survey costs to £14,500 per year and this was agreed. A special meeting is now to be called to discuss response to the call for the JBC to consider whether the extension scheme can be self-financing and deferment of the extra loan bid for a year.

At a meeting on Tuesday, Romanby Parish Council approved finance committee recommendations to accept the cemetery spending plans