RESIDENTS in Bridport will pay more in council tax to "protect the town" from future cuts to funding from county and district authorities.

Members of Bridport Town Council agreed to marginally increase its share of the precept for 2015-16 in order to safeguard services, including Bridport Youth Centre, which are under threat from cutbacks from West Dorset District Council and Dorset County Council.

Residents of Band D properties in the town will be charged an additional £14.44 a year, an increase of 8.55 per cent.

The total increase to the precept of £42,200, along with council tax support grant, will raise £561,793 and provide an additional £7,137 towards protecting "future delegated services".

Leader of the council, Cllr Sarah Williams said: "60 per cent of householders in Bridport will be paying less than the 28 pence per week increase.

"It was a difficult decision for us but we have to protect the town."

During the next financial year, the town council will see a reductions of almost £25,000 in grant funding from West Dorset District Council.

Funding of £10,000 has been allocated for Bridport Youth Centre in the town council's next budget.

Mayor of Bridport, Cllr Sandra Brown said a compromise between two suggested increases was proposed by the council's finance and general purposes committee last week.

She said: "We wanted something there in case there are some more evils to come out of the woodwork.

"It will give us a little bit of leeway."

The council has earmarked £200,000 of its reserves to potentially pay for projects in the coming financial year. Cllr Ros Kayes said the town council has been put in a "lose-lose" situation.

Cllr Kayes said: "This year we are faced in a position where because of the reduction in support grant we have been getting from West Dorset District Council, we have to increase the precept just to stay where we are.

"We have been put into a lose-lose situation.

"If we want to help save our youth centre, I don't think we have any alternative this year and do what is being suggested. Reluctantly, I will support that increase."

Cllr Dave Rickard warned that the decision to earmark money from the council's reserves should only be a one-off idea.

He said: "It does give us an opportunity, if we can afford it, to do things ourselves.

"But these cuts are not just this year. If we use all our reserves this year for projects, we would not have them for the year after."

But Cllr Julian Jones said that the reserves are available to be used when needed.

Cllr Jones said: "I do think we should be looking to spend as we need to.

"There is no point building up reserves in years when funding was good and not using them when things are tighter."