MALVERN Town Council is to cut its precept by 10 per cent.

The council, which also cut its precept last year by 7.5 per cent, is proposing to reduce this year's from £716,000 to £644,000.

The result would be a cut of about £10 a month for the average Band D property. This would be funded in a number of ways.

A total of £41,000 will be released from existing reserves to buy equipment such as a mower, allowing grass cutting and football pitch maintenance to be done 'in-house' rather than by contractors.

The council also plans to cut costs by buying its own van instead of leasing one, no longer employing a financial consultant and renegotiating IT maintenance.

The proposals were made at a meeting of the finance and administration committee on Monday.

Coun John Wilcox said: "If we've done the housework, then we should be getting as much back to customers as we can. So we should aim for a reduced precept."

The council's proposed budget for 2005/6 is £659,141, down on last year's £705,425.

This will cover the cost of projects such as putting up flower baskets on Belle Vue Terrace railings, finalising the repair and renewal of fences in Victoria Park and Spring Lane, reducing footpath widths and bulb planting in Station Gardens and revamping the area outside the playgroup building in Victoria Park.

The proposals were due to be considered by full council last night (Thursday).