Council gets no joy over future arts centre funding
Tuesday, 8th February 2011.
Haverhill Town Council received little re-assurance about the future funding of Haverhill Arts Centre at their meeting this evening.
The council had asked representatives from St Edmundsbury Borough Council to attend and give them an indication of future grant intentions after 2012.
Thye borough had already agreed to stand by its five-year commitment to grant-fund the Arts Centre, which runs out after the coming year.
The town council wanted an indication of what was likely to happen after that so that it could budget for a possible fall-off in funding.
But members were told tonight that although the borough fully supported the Arts Centre and considered it was providing as very good service for the town, it could not guarantee future funding.
No agreement could be given about funding for 2012/13 and beyond 'at this time'.
Members were told it would not be zero, and the borough council had never discussed cutting the grant completely, but they could not say even the range it might be in in the future.
Town councillors deferred setting their budget until February 22.
And they had another bit of bad news to contend with. Paul Little, whom they had appointed as the new town clerk after a lengthy recruitment process, has told them he cannot take the job for 'personal resaons'.
Current town clerk Gordon Mussett is due to retire this year, and a handover period was scheduled to start in April.
The council had asked representatives from St Edmundsbury Borough Council to attend and give them an indication of future grant intentions after 2012.
Thye borough had already agreed to stand by its five-year commitment to grant-fund the Arts Centre, which runs out after the coming year.
The town council wanted an indication of what was likely to happen after that so that it could budget for a possible fall-off in funding.
But members were told tonight that although the borough fully supported the Arts Centre and considered it was providing as very good service for the town, it could not guarantee future funding.
No agreement could be given about funding for 2012/13 and beyond 'at this time'.
Members were told it would not be zero, and the borough council had never discussed cutting the grant completely, but they could not say even the range it might be in in the future.
Town councillors deferred setting their budget until February 22.
And they had another bit of bad news to contend with. Paul Little, whom they had appointed as the new town clerk after a lengthy recruitment process, has told them he cannot take the job for 'personal resaons'.
Current town clerk Gordon Mussett is due to retire this year, and a handover period was scheduled to start in April.
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