Ashburton swimming pool and the town’s Bank Youth Project are to benefit from a proposed increase to council tax.

Asburton Town Council ran a public consultation at the end of last year to assess residents’ views on adding grant funding to the 2025-2026 council tax.

Residents were asked if they would be willing to pay an additional £13-£40 per year in council tax, depending on banding, so the council can give two £30,000 grants to the organisations.

Of the 513 people who voted, 69% were in favour of supporting the pool and 68% were in favour of funding the Bank Youth Project.

‘It is therefore our intention to add the full £60,000 on to the 2025-26 precept request,’ an Ashburton Town Councillor said.

Ashburton Swimming Pool desperately needs funding to fix a serious leak. Volunteers secured money last year to repair a large crack but the pool has continued to lose water. ‘If considerable funding is not received, the pool will not be able to open,’ warned Ashburton pool trustee and town councillor Lucy Wood. Pool managers are planning to use a professional diagnostic company to identify the cause of the leak so they can get it repaired properly.

The Bank Youth Project provides the youth of Ashburton with a safe space to take part in activities and access support. It costs around £60,000-£70,000 per year for the project to open four nights a week. Costs include staffing, building maintenance, utilities and the activities themselves. ‘Grant funding is increasingly competitive, especially for core costs,’ a spokesperson said. ‘We are working hard applying to other sources, along with trying to generate income in other ways. But £30,000 for next year would give us almost half our budget and provide stability to plan ahead with confidence.’