A POPULAR farm which made headlines when its donkey Cheeky was repeatedly stabbed faces accusations it is receiving unfair council subsidies after landing a £336,000 grant this year.

Greenmeadow Community Farm in Cwmbran is at the centre of a council funding row this week after statistics revealed it had received a total of £336,987 for 2014/15 at a time of severe spending cuts.

Torfaen chiefs said the council-run farm was a “highly valued educational community resource” which helped create “wonderful farming experiences” for children and attracts more than 60,000 visitors a year.

But Independent councillors argue the farm funding could have been used to support other prominent Torfaen tourist attractions which have lost council funding like Pontypool Museum, as well as avert the potential cost-saving move of the Cordell Museum in Blaenavon.

Last year, Torfaen taxpayers called on the Labour council to reduce its funding to the community farm by 20 per cent.

However, figures show the council is only planning to reduce its funding to the facility by around seven per cent this financial year to £315,115.

Independent Torfaen Cllr Ronald Burnett said: “Torfaen took the decision not to spend money on tourist attractions.

“They’ve cut funding for school crossings.

“They’ve cut funding for adult education.

“They’re cutting everything. The farm should be the first thing to go.”

Torfaen council confirmed this week it had pledged to consider a reduction in its budgets for all tourist attractions within Torfaen and actively explore different alternative models for delivering these attractions.

A council spokesman stressed that the allocation to the farm had come down from £409,118 to £336,987 between 13/14 and 14/15, which is a reduction of around 18 per cent.

Torfaen executive member for resources, Cllr Anthony Hunt, said: “The farm has already achieved more than a 20 per cent reduction in budget from 2013/14 to the proposed budget for 2015/16.

“This is in-line with the support other groups and facilities receive within the borough, due to the harsh reality of austerity cuts being imposed on the council.

“Greenmeadow Community Farm is a highly-valued educational and community resource, attracting thousands of tourists to the area.

“It also plays a key role in community life and has a special place in the hearts of the thousands of people.

“In just six months, it provided more than 2,000 hours of volunteering opportunities, 30 work experience placements to students and hosted 52 school visits, as well as providing 120 horticultural/agricultural work placement opportunities per week for adults with learning difficulties.

“However, the farm like all council services is being challenged to continue cutting its cloth as we seek to manage a £12m shortfall.”

Farm boss Sally Partridge said: “We take very seriously the means by which we’re funded. It is public funding and we look at using it wisely.”