TOWN forum members in Winchester have voted against picking up the bill for some city council services.

They turned down a request from the local authority to pay ten per cent of the annual grant to the city’s Theatre Royal.

Winchester City Council gives £200,000 to the venue each year, but wants to trim it back to £180,000, with the forum paying £20,000.

The forum refused the deal by eight votes to three. They also rejected a £17,000 grant application from Winchester Action on Climate Change to thermally map the city to show how much energy was being used.

Members agreed that they would pay up to £40,000 per year towards the upkeep of Winchester’s public toilets, but only if parish councils chipped in as well.

They also made £10,000 available to see if 20mph limits were feasible in the medieval centre, and some suburban areas.