MALVERN Town Council is preparing to open the debate over the future of its office building on Belle Vue Terrace.

Council met on Tuesday and agreed its budget for next year, which will result in a third reduction in council tax in a row.

This year's reduction is the largest yet, ten per cent, and will bring its average demand on tax-payers down to an estimated £71.

The move will mean that the council's projected spending will be £705,425 next year.

Welcoming the budget, Coun Adrian Ward, one of the leading critics of previous levels of council spending, said: "It's been a really long struggle to get to this stage. It's such a pleasure to be able to stand up and have some common sense back into this council."

The Belle Vue Terraces offices will have a major influence on council finances in years to come.

Council chairman Roger Hall-Jones secured agreement from councillors to put discussion on the offices on the agenda for the next meeting on January 20

Operating costs on the building are roughly £70,000 a year, although the authority gets a proportion back by renting some spare space out.

The project to buy and renovate the former Manders chemist cost more than £600,000 and was one of the single most controversial decisions the former council took.

A total of £490,000 was raised in 25-year-loans to help finance the project and the £70,000 figure includes loan repayment costs. As of September 30, a total of £445,828 remains outstanding.

Malvern Town Action Group, which now controls the council after the May elections, was born out of disquiet over the level of town council spending.

Options open to the council include selling all or part of the building, although it might not get back the money it spent and may need to find somewhere else to operate from.

If it keeps the building, it could opt to try to get commercial income from letting out further spare space although all the options would have to be investigated in detail.