Falmouth Town Council has been forced to revise its budget for 2014/15 after Cornwall Council cut its council tax support grant by £13,000.

In December, town councillors agreed a draft budget which would have seen a 19.2 per cent increase on its budget. The precept had provisionally been agreed at £1,032,338 which would have resulted in a £25.48 a year increase on council tax for a Band D property.

However, when town councillors met to ratify that draft budget they were told that last minute changes had had to be made after the reduction in the Cornwall Council’s grant.

Town clerk Mark Williams told members that it had been anticipated the town council would receive £133,000 from Cornwall Council, the same as the previous year, but it is in fact only to receive £120,000.

Councillor Candy Atherton, chairman of the town’s finance committee, said: “I had been told there would be a slight adjustment in our council tax support funding this year and thought we were talking a handful of hundreds rather than £13,000.

“We have worked a budget to serve the town and it would be stupid not to keep to that budget and that is why I am proposing the increase. There are so many extra responsibilities that the town council is taking on.”

It was stressed that Cornwall Council was only handing down a cut which it has received from central government.

Mr Williams said: “Cornwall Council are expected to pass that grant down, but they do not have to. Some authorities don’t pass it down, so we should be grateful.”

In supporting the revised budget, Councillor Trish Minson, said: “We have aspirations for the town and are trying to do what people are asking us to do. We are supporting the town and supporting the people in it.”

The revised budget, which includes a precept of £1,044,827, was unanimously agreed by the council last week. It will result in a £27.40 a year increase on council tax for a Band D property.