Council faces cash deficit for arts venue
Monday, 20th August 2012.
Just a few months after St Edmundsbury Borough Council axed its grant to Haverhill Arts Centre entirely, it is battling to deal with a massive deficit at its new arts venue in Bury St Edmunds.
The Apex cost council tax payers in the borough £736,000 in the year 2011/12.
The council's performance and audit scrutiny committee recently received a report on the £18.5million venue's performance over its first 18 months, which revealed the size of the deficit and the position for the current year.
The venue is budgeted to cost £775,000 for 2012/13, and is marginally exceeding that rate for the first months of the year.
In April St Edmundsbury axed the £160,000 a year grant it has been paying towards the funding of Haverhill Arts Centre.
The council's cabinet is now considering a proposal that the Apex and the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds, which is also suffering financial difficulties, and which the council grant aids, should be combined in a management trust.
The Apex cost council tax payers in the borough £736,000 in the year 2011/12.
The council's performance and audit scrutiny committee recently received a report on the £18.5million venue's performance over its first 18 months, which revealed the size of the deficit and the position for the current year.
The venue is budgeted to cost £775,000 for 2012/13, and is marginally exceeding that rate for the first months of the year.
In April St Edmundsbury axed the £160,000 a year grant it has been paying towards the funding of Haverhill Arts Centre.
The council's cabinet is now considering a proposal that the Apex and the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds, which is also suffering financial difficulties, and which the council grant aids, should be combined in a management trust.
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