PARISH councillors on an Oxford estate have tightened up the way they give out grants to make sure taxpayers’ money is well spent.

Every year, Blackbird Leys Parish Council dishes out thousands of pounds to local community groups in need of cash.

But this year, the council has decided to “tidy up” its procedures by “tightening up” how its grant system works.

Chairman Gordon Roper said the council would be much firmer in seeing accounts from any group or organisation applying for money in the future.

Mr Roper said in the past the council had handed out one-off grants to groups which had no sustainable funding, and the groups tended to fold.

He said: “We have to ask people to come in so we can ask them questions.

“We don’t want to give out grants willy-nilly.

“We have to look at their funding and what they want to spend it on.

“We had small groups coming in wanting £250. We just gave it to them and then we would hear no more about it, and then it folds and we have wasted that money.

“We are just not going to waste taxpayers’ money anymore.

“Everyone is tightening their belts and we are tightening ours.”

Mr Roper would not reveal how much the council allocated to spend on grants this year, but would judge it according to the applications it gets.

As of May 28, the council had a bank balance of more than £53,000. In the past, the council has supported groups like The Barn Youth Project, Clockhouse IT Project, and the Junior Street Wardens.

Mr Roper said any community group or project was welcome to apply.

He said: “We can spend what we want on grants really, but we like to keep a bit back for a rainy day or for emergencies. But we want everyone who comes to us to get a bite of the cherry.”

Parish clerk Malcolm Anderson said the grants budget for this year was £30,000 – almost double what was awarded last year.

To apply for a grant from Blackbird Leys Parish Council write to clerk Malcolm Anderson at 13 Bailey Road, Oxford, or come to the meetings on the last Tuesday of every month at the Community Centre in Blackbird Leys Road at 7pm.