Holt councillors have pledged to improve Peacock play area and donate more money to local groups in their 2012 budget.

Members approved the town council's financial plans at a meeting last night, which focused on putting more cash in their reserves.

They also hope to freeze their share of council tax by maintaining the council's precept but this will not be formally passed until November's full meeting.

Di Dann, town clerk, said �20,000 would be set aside in next year's budget to go towards improving the play area, which will be added to the section 106 money the council is expecting from the HO1 development in the north of the town.

Mrs Dann said: 'We have taken quite a hit this year in relation to open spaces. Up to this year we have had a lot of support from the county council in terms of managing our common land but that's all been withdrawn so we have got to take over all of that ourselves.'

Another scheme that will benefit is the council's donations pot, which is set to go up from �3,000 to �5,000, as members understood it was becoming harder for community groups to find funding and grants.

Money has also been put aside to maintain and extend the town's cemetery in Cley Road and �3,500 has been put towards the public toilets in Church Street.