Plans to spend half a million pounds on extra council offices in Selby have come under fire from Tadcaster's Tory councillors.

They say the plans are a "diabolical waste" of ratepayers' money - and are further alienating the "forgotten" residents of Tadcaster, which has been allocated just £75,000 this year for town improvements.

Selby District Council's Labour group leader, Coun Dean Howson, recently announced a £2.5 million cash hand-out, funded from council reserves.

It includes £500,000 to convert the old Combined Services Club, in Portholme Road, Selby, into a Civic Centre annexe.

And a further £500,000 was allocated for a one-stop "community house" for all the area's voluntary organisations on a former school site, in Brook Street, Selby.

Conservative councillor Chris Metcalfe (Tadcaster East) said today: "One million pounds is going into Selby, while Tadcaster, the district's second largest settlement, is to share £150,000 with Sherburn-in-Elmet. It's just not good enough.

"Such a huge sum for more council offices is a diabolical waste of money when some of our services are going to be privatised anyway under our new best value policy.

"Once again Tadcaster has got crumbs from the table - we've been given £75,000 to keep us quiet. The fairest way of spending this money would be to reduce council tax so that everyone benefits."

Coun Metcalfe said he planned to meet the council's chief executive, Martin Connor, to discuss the lack of funding for Tadcaster.

District councillor Brian Percival, president of Tadcaster Chamber of Trade, described the £75,000 as "peanuts".

He said: "The northern parishes around Tadcaster are very disillusioned. They see themselves as the providers of capital to be spent in Selby town. We want our rightful share of the cake."

Pensioner Joe Scrancher, of Woodlands Estate, Tadcaster, said: "Our town and Sherburn are sharing the leftovers - it's scandalous."

Coun Howson today defended the cash allocations, saying that extra council offices were badly needed because some staff were having to use temporary accommodation.

He said the old Combined Services Club was an eyesore, and could also be used for a one-stop information centre for the public.

Coun Howson said Tadcaster would be able to apply for some of the remaining £1.3 million on offer.

Updated: 15:24 Friday, May 04, 2001