Councillors have agreed to a £73,000 lifeline for youth services across the district which were put in jeopardy by a funding review.

A blazing row erupted last November when Bradford Council changed the system for allocating grants to voluntary groups.

Today one of the groups to benefit said last night's decision would ensure its survival. But another said it would continue its legal action against the Council.

Peter Lund, treasurer of Clayton Community Association said its £2,000 grant was a reprieve for the popular youth club which is attended by dozens of youngsters in the village hall on three evenings a week. "It is welcome. It meant the difference between survival or closure," he said.

But Jeff Moor, warden at Wilsden Village Hall said: "We have been granted £14,000, but that will still leave us with in excess of £20,000 to find and we are endeavouring to do that through other sources. There are a couple of irons in the fire and our legal action against Bradford Council is still ongoing."

And Kim Adams, of Keighley Youth Theatre, said: "We still have a shortfall and we are looking for sponsors and a new headquarters, but this is very welcome to us."

The controversy started after the organisations had to fill in forms about their functions and management and were judged against strict criteria.

The Council said it wanted to end the system where groups got funding as a matter of course and new organisations were left out in the cold.

The community development committee agreed to funds 171 groups, but 163 were refused. Some won the money after a review but others are still battling to get a change in the system.

But the services to young people sub-committee last night approved action by officers who will allocate £73,000 to save those youth services being run from the community centres which had lost or received cuts in their funding.

The other groups to benefit were: Greenwood Youth and Community Association (£16,000), Idle YMCA (£12,000), Eccleshill Mechanics Institute (£7,000), Bradford Youth Players (£1,500), Wyke Community Centre (£1,100), Woodside Community Centre (£4,000), Oakenshaw Youth and Community Association (£1,400), Great Horton Village Hall (£2,000), Woodhouse and Springbank Community Association, Keighley (£9,000), H Y T - Keighley Youth Theatre (£1,000).

The money can only be used for the youth services and will pay for aspects like running costs and administration.

Committee chairman Councillor Bridget Maguire said: "We have redirected resources from out of our existing budgets to support the services. We wanted to see youth work continuing."

The Council's housing services committee will also consider extending the successful Positive Parenting Project scheme which was adopted on troubled Braithwaite Estate in Keighley to point families in the right direction.

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