TOWN councillors angry that their residents don't get a discount at Ferndown Leisure Centre have voted to withhold their annual payment towards its running.

Ferndown council decided not to add a payment of £15,000 to Dorset County Council to their budget for 2008-09 despite a plea to the contrary.

If the town council's finance and general purposes committee decision is backed at the full town council meeting on Monday it will mean there will be no increase to the council tax precept for residents.

Town councillors recently discovered the leisure centre offers discounts to employees at large companies but not to residents, whose money pays the £15,000 bill.

On Monday county councillor John Wilson spoke to the meeting before the formal agenda started. He reminded them they had promised the cash annually, as part of a five-year reviewable agreement they are tied to until 2009.

He said that if they withheld the cash, it would not hurt the leisure centre but impact on Dorset County Council. He warned that something else, such as other leisure centres, could suffer.

He said: "Seventy-nine per cent of members have local addresses or they work for local companies and use the centre before going home.

"It is essential that the promise of one authority to another can be relied upon. In the interests of the reputation of the council I ask you to honour that promise to at least October 2009."

Cllr Wilson left before the debate took place.

Chairman Cllr Queenie Comfort said most of the facilities were available to residents without paying a membership fee.

But other councillors said the parameters of the deal had changed and they noted that nobody had wanted to talk to them until they withheld the previous payment.

Cllr Malcolm Birr said: "The 20 per cent discount is between £15,000 and £18,000 a year which almost equates with what this council puts in."

They held a recorded vote on the proposal to keep the status quo and pay the money, backed by councillors Muggleton, Reynolds and Comfort. But councillors Oggelsby, Birr, Dedman, Moss, Lovett, Howes and Little voted against the proposal.

Cllr Weedon abstained.

The issue now goes forward to the full town council.