THE COUNTY'S largest town is being starved' of funds according to a Milford Haven county councillor.

Mike Stoddart claims that the budget, which was rubber stamped last week, shows a consistent bias against Milford.

He said: "I cannot see any rational reason why Milford gets so little and it's not just this year. It is being continually starved of resources."

The new 2007/08 budget amounts to £46m.

Of this figure £28m is allocated to general heads of expenditure leaving £18m.

Haverfordwest are to reap the benefit of a £8.5m cash injection while Milford gets less than £200,000 for a vehicle cleaning facility and to carry out work on St Francis' School.

He went on to say that councillors have little say on the budget.

After being drafted by the cabinet in January the proposed budget goes through scrutiny committees who don't have the power to impose changes.

It then goes back to the cabinet in February after which it is put before full council.

Cllr Stoddart said: "When you have £18m to spend it should be watermark of the political calendar. I think some councillors are just happy to go along with it because it saves them having to think.

"In the last five years the budget has not been changed by so much as a pound from when it was drafted to when it is rubber stamped."

He went on to say that with a fraction of the money that is heading to the county town Milford could resolve it's car parking problems, establish youth facilities and maintain pavements in the town.

Milford Haven county councillor Rhys Sinnett said that along with other councillors he had approached cabinet members to find out why Milford Haven seemed to be treated in this way.

He said: "We are told the distribution of the capital programme budget is not about being fair, it is a question of sending the money where it is most needed."

He did however, say that he felt the council had started to acknowledge that Milford did need more investment.