A ROW has erupted over the funding of the Metropole Arts Centre in Folkestone.

Shepway District Council's Conservative cabinet is proposing investing more council tax payers money in the venue - but others argue it is "elitist" and that many living in the district do not use it.

Liberal Democrat Michael Luck brought the matter to the fore at a meeting of the full council. He asked why the authority was considering giving the centre a further £100,000 grant.

He said: "We are going down a slippery slope we have been down before. How much more money is this authority to be asked for to put into the Metropole Arts Centre.

"It tends to be a little bit elitist. I am not a heathen, I do like art, but if you asked the people on the streets how many go to the Metropole Arts Centre there would not be many.

"I understand the new director wants to turn it around and I hope he does, but there is more and more council tax payers money going in when instead it could be used elsewhere."

Cllr Luck said the money could instead be spent on improving Folkestone's closed circuit television surveillance system. He said: "If people want the Metropole, they should pay for the facility."

At the same time as the Metropole wanted more money the cabinet had decided to scrap the £9,330 it usually gives to town and parish councils, which they in turn hand out to organisations in their areas who need cash.

Cllr Stephen Cardale, district secretary for community affairs, said: "The Metropole is not just an elitist gallery on The Leas. The Metropole attendance has gone up since the new director Nick Ewbank arrived. It went up 8.5 per cent from 2001-2002. It is not just for high brow art lovers."

Cllr Cardale said he hoped the cabinet would approve the release of the £100,000 at its next meeting. He said scrapping the money usually given to town and parish councils was not connected.

He stressed: "It was a hard decision. But we had the same organisations year after year who applied. However, these groups can still apply to Shepway council for funding.

"Alternatively we would have had to cut into the Hythe Festival, the Strange Cargo or the Metropole funding - which all help to regenerate this district."