A MOVE to scrap Portland Town Council has been rejected by islanders - but only just.

The controversial poll, held after 15 residents called for it at a stormy annual meeting, asked Portlanders: "Do you wish to have a town council funded by precept?"

The precept - which funds the council - currently costs just over £6 on top of the normal council tax bill for a band C property.

The poll revealed 651 wanted the precept to continue with 583 calling for the town council to be axed.

The turnout for the vote, organised by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council at an estimated cost of £5,500 to the town council, was just over 14 per cent of around 8,765 people.

New Portland deputy mayor Norma Bodtger now hopes the town council will start to play a bigger role in peoples lives.

"I'm delighted with the result because we want Portland Town Council to be a more important authority than it has in the past. Even though it was close, I'm confident the people who stayed at home did so because they were happy with the situation and happy to pay the precept," she said.

She added that the town council hoped to receive extra funding from central government this year to provide more services.

"New directives from central government will be giving parish councils far more power, and hopefully funding, in the next few years and that is why this vote was so important. We want the town council to start playing a bigger part in the community," she said.

Campaigners wanting the town council scrapped now fear the precept will "rocket through the roof".

Former town and borough councillor Alan Martindale said: "We're obviously disappointed by the result but I truly believe the low turnout shows that the result is not actually a true reflection of public opinion. In two or three years time the precept could be anything up to £80 and that is our big worry."