SELBY’S top councillor has praised officials after they revealed a surplus of more than half-a-million pounds.

The district council’s policy and resources committee met last night to discuss the state of the authority’s finances.

Officers revealed an underspend on the general fund of £574,480 – five per cent of the overall budget.

Council leader Mark Crane said: “This is down to good management. We have been careful about what we have spent and overall we are in a fortunate position, in that we have under-spent. “In these difficult times, money needs to be put aside. We have been prudent and not spent much where we did not need to.”

Across the council, there were wide variations between departments. Car parks made £15,189 more than expected, but Selby Markets had a shortfall of £12,216 – or 162 per cent.

Officials said the loss was largely due to poor weather conditions forcing the cancellation of some markets, including the usually lucrative one in last year’s August Bank Holiday.

The Tadcaster market is also subsidised by the council.

Coun Crane said the shortfall would be compensated for by the savings elsewhere.

At last night’s meeting, councillors also considered the formal statement of accounts for 2008/9, ahead of submission to auditors.

In his formal foreword, Coun Crane said the council was coping well with the recession.

He said: “Our robust financial management arrangements and clear focus on efficiency savings have meant that we have weathered the storm over the last 12 months and are in a good position to meet the continuing challenges that will inevitably come our way.

“During 2008/9, the council opened its flagship customer contact centre ‘Access Selby’; engaged project management experts to help develop the proposals for the Selby Community Project (a new community hospital and civic centre on the site of the War Memorial Hospital on Doncaster Road, Selby); delivered on its Decent Homes+ standard and commenced renaissance works in Selby and Sherburn-in-Elmet.”