Oxford City Council is to provide £35,000 to elderly and disabled people who are waiting for renovation grants to help them carry out vital repairs.

However, the council will not provide a further £215,000 until a report has been prepared to show where the remaining money will come from.

The council expects the £215,000 will be paid in two weeks time.

In October, Oxford City Council's executive board agreed an extra £270,000 should be spent on grant funding to bring the allocation up to the normal annual total of £1.1m.

The board agreed the money would be allocated as soon as possible, and at the end of last year paid £20,000 to tackle the most urgent cases.

Cllr Jean Fooks was dismayed the £270,000 was not being made available straight away.

At yesterday's executive board meeting, councillors agreed to pay another £35,000, with the remaining £215,000 to be paid in a fortnight's time.

The council leader, Corinna Redman, said the council should pay £35,000, then wait for a report to see where the rest of the money would come from.

Afterwards, Cllr Fooks said this was a further unnecessary delay.

She said: "This puts accounting procedures before public service need."

Green councillor Mike Woodin, who is responsible for renovation grants, urged the board to pay the £250,000 immediately, but Cllr Redman's proposal was approved.

The council is drawing up a policy on renovation grants, to allow it more discretion to deal with "exceptional" cases.

Disabled people who live in private homes are eligible for grants on a mandatory basis.

Those who are council tenants and whose applications have the support of social services, are also entitled to the grants.

Energy conservation grants, or grants to help the elderly convert their homes, are available on a discretionary basis. All grants are means-tested.