PARISH councillors in Oxenhope agreed on a budget for 2017/18 at their latest monthly meeting.

Members of Oxenhope Parish Council voted to raise a precept of £24,620, a 35 per cent increase on their 2016/17 precept which was £18,185.

The latest budget amounts to a charge of £23.26 on homes in the benchmark band D category.

It features £5,000 to enable the parish council to help fund services previously provided by Bradford District Council, £3,570 for Oxenhope Youth Club, and 2,000 for the drawing up of the new Neighbourhood Development Plan.

The budget also includes £350 for Christmas lights, £200 for the maintenance of Oxenhope's Marsh Common and £2,500 for grants to local community groups.

Speaking after the meeting, Oxenhope clerk Elaine Pearson said most of the budget increase was down to needing a contingency to take over services which Bradford Council will no longer be able to provide due to spending cuts.

Mrs Pearson, who is retiring from her role with the council after 14 years, said some additional money was also needed to train her successor.