Plans to spend £26,000 revamping a hall - a year after it underwent a £1.6m refurbishment - have been agreed.

Seating at the Civic Hall in Portway, Wantage, will be replaced. Meanwhile, existing retractable tiered seating will have a new £8,000 motorised mechanism to allow it to be pulled out and pushed back at the flick of a switch, instead of being set up manually as it is at the moment.

Up to £17,000 will be spent on replacing loose seats which can be stacked away after use.

The funds had been agreed by the Vale of White Horse District Council within its budget last week.

But Wantage town councillor John Coates said: "It is just throwing good money after bad. "It is such a waste of money. I would like to see the money spent on subsidising the clubs and groups who want to use the hall. It is just barmy.

"They are not thinking about the public, they are thinking about grand schemes."

Head of leisure services at the Vale of White Horse District Council, Chis Webb, said the improvements were necessary to comply with regulations.

He said the single seats had to be able to be stacked properly and joined together.

He said: "It is expensive but the seating will last for many years. The manual handling of the tier seating is not adequate."

Story date: Wednesday 23 February

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