CONTROVERSIAL plans for a new community centre manager to serve two warring villages have got the go-ahead.

Members of the Poppleton Community Trust, who run the centre, have agreed to make the £18,000 appointment despite strong opposition.

Householders in Upper Poppleton, York, said it was an "injustice" to almost double their parish council taxes in order to fund the new post at Poppleton Community Centre, when people living in Nether Poppleton were not forced to pay anything.

The row erupted when referendums were set up by both parish councils to ask villagers if they wanted to stump up £18,000 between them for someone to manage the centre.

Despite poor turnouts, a narrow majority of householders in Upper Poppleton voted to fork out £9,000 for the scheme, while those in Nether Poppleton turned it down.

It means the parish council precept for people living in an average Band D property in Upper Poppleton will increase by more than £10 a year.

Now the trust will fork out the remaining £9,000 to fund the manager and has called on residents in Nether Poppleton to dig deep.

"We don't consider that there is a split between the two villages," said Peter Hawkins, a member of the community trust.

"There are a minority of people who don't wish to support the community centre for whatever reason."

Mr Hawkins said they went ahead with the plan because of a strong reaction by residents in the two villages to a questionnaire sent to homes.

"The community centre is there for both villages and we have no plans to discriminate between residents," he said.

"The overwhelming majority of people who filled in the questionnaire indicated that they would be prepared to make a contribution of 20p a week through a parish precept.

"We are seeking contributions from Nether Poppleton."

"The concept of a community centre for Upper and Nether Poppleton was initiated about 15 years ago by residents who had the foresight to recognise the need for such a facility."

The Evening Press previously reported an earlier row between the villages in which Upper Poppleton residents paid £1,200 a year for the emptying of dog bins, while Nether Poppleton got the service free.

Updated: 10:15 Monday, March 21, 2005