CONCERNED taxpayers and Ilkley's MP are demanding answers from Ilkley Parish Council over its 'record breaking' unspent accounts.

A number of Ilkley people are holding a crisis meeting tonight to form a campaign group pressuring the parish council over its estimated £140,000 cash reserves, which includes more than £100,000 in surplus money from previous financial years.

And Ilkley MP Ann Cryer is taking the matter to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

The parish council recently opened up its accounts for the financial year 2003-2004 to public inspection in line with national regulations, but one person who examined the accounts was concerned by the amount of unspent cash.

Parish Ghyll Drive resident Andrew Dundas has gathered together other Ilkley people who are worried about the situation - and he says the council should give the money back to residents.

He said: "The parish council has probably broken the world record, because in their bank account about now, they have about two years' expenditure in spare cash."

Ilkley Parish Council had an income of £155,434 in the last financial year, from its precept on parish residents and other sources, and spent just £87,392. But it also had around £38,000 carried over from the previous financial year.

The council's net assets as of March 31 this year were £106,093. Mr Dundas believes a rise in the parish precept this year, coupled with a failure to spend the existing surplus, means the parish council now has more than £140,000 to its name but does not know what to spend it on.

Mr Dundas, who stood as a Labour candidate for a Keighley ward in the recent Bradford Council elections, says the money must be spent equally around the parish or given back to the taxpayers. He says parish councils should spend all their money each year and should not raise the demand on taxpayers unless they have something to spend it on. He criticised the parish council for setting the precept without first deciding exactly what to spend the money on.

Ilkley Parish Council is expected to raise more than £134,000 from Ilkley, Burley and Menston residents this financial year, around £12 per year from each Council Tax value band D property. This money is paid on top of the standard Council Tax rate to Bradford Council.

Meanwhile, MP Ann Cryer has also become involved.

She said: "Given the concerns of people in Ilkley regarding the precept and what appears to be a very high reserve, I have referred the matter to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for a view as to the legality of raising so large a precept simply for reserve."

The parish council, however, says much of the money is ring-fenced or already committed to projects for the benefit of the parish.

The chairman, Councillor Brian Mann, says the council is yet to be invoiced for thousands of pounds for past work, and a 'fair sum' of around £20,000 has been put aside to spend on badly-needed toilet provision.

Another £50,000, said Coun Mann, has been held to cover the council if it successfully takes on any buildings projects, such as taking over the old Water Works building on the edge of Ilkley Moor, to preserve as a heritage centre. Negotiations are taking place with Yorkshire Water over this.

But Councillor Mann says he is aware that external auditors will not want the parish council to carry over large sums previously saved yet again - and the council is keen to spend. He admits carrying over cash is not usually done by councils.

"We must spend it, we all agree. We've been pushing various proposals for well over a year now," he said.

But he said the parish council must wait for planning permission for two Superloos in Burley, and must wait for the next move from Bradford Council before spending elsewhere, such as on public toilets.

The parish council wanted to make sure it was not paying for something that would otherwise be funded from Council Tax money paid to Bradford Council. Coun Mann said the council was also conscious of taking time on spending decisions to take into account spreading money across the parish.

"It's not reticence to spend money, we're just being prudent," said Coun Mann. "We feel frustrated as well. We'd like to spend. It's not quite as simple as going out and buying a loo."

He stressed that the accounts have been audited internally, are open to public inspection and will be assessed by an external auditor.

"There's nothing underhand at all with the accounts," he said.