Short reprieve for arts centre funding fears
Wednesday, 17th November 2010.
The leader of St Edmundsbury Council has pledged that agreed grants, such as the current one to Haverhill Arts Centre, will not be affected by proposed cuts.
However, the Arts Centre's current grant has only one more financial year to run, so the future beyond March 2012 is still being negotiated.
Cllr John Griffiths yesterday spoke about measures the borough council proposes to take in an effort to save £2.7million in 2011/2012.
The council's Government grant was cut under the spending review by 28 per cent over four years, which means from £7million to £5million, and the council expects most of that to be required in the early part of the period.
The council has a track record of making savings of around £1million a year since 2005/6, and this year its target is £1.6million.
Since 2005 the council has reduced staffing from 743 to 511, through non-replacement and transfer to other organisations like Abbeycroft Leisure, which now rums the Sports Centres.
Overtime has been cut, the bin round has been re-organised and there have been savings through partnering other organisations.
Numerous examples have been put forward of potential future savings, including cuts to parish grants, a reduction in committees and improved use of office space, as well as ideas for increasing revenue from car parking and other existing income activities.
Organisations receiving grants have been told to prepare for reductions.
But Cllr Griffiths said the council would honour its existing agreements and would not change funding until these end.
"None of the savings should hit front line services in Haverhill," he said.
He said the council would have to withstand extremely challenging cuts, but it was good at making savings and, with luck, these could be absorbed without affecting important services.
Haverhill Town Council took over the running of Haverhill Arts Centre on the basis of receiving a grant from St Edmundsbury and negotiated a reducing funding agreement for a period of five years.
Each year the grant has come down five per cent and this year stands at around £208,000.
Although St Edmundsbury's statement safeguards the coming financial year, the future beyond that is unclear.
The town council's arts and leisure manager Nick Keeble said they had been in negotiations to continue the grant after the end of the five years, but the level was still being discussed.
However, the town council has been making preparations based on a pessimistic view of the outcome.
However, the Arts Centre's current grant has only one more financial year to run, so the future beyond March 2012 is still being negotiated.
Cllr John Griffiths yesterday spoke about measures the borough council proposes to take in an effort to save £2.7million in 2011/2012.
The council's Government grant was cut under the spending review by 28 per cent over four years, which means from £7million to £5million, and the council expects most of that to be required in the early part of the period.
The council has a track record of making savings of around £1million a year since 2005/6, and this year its target is £1.6million.
Since 2005 the council has reduced staffing from 743 to 511, through non-replacement and transfer to other organisations like Abbeycroft Leisure, which now rums the Sports Centres.
Overtime has been cut, the bin round has been re-organised and there have been savings through partnering other organisations.
Numerous examples have been put forward of potential future savings, including cuts to parish grants, a reduction in committees and improved use of office space, as well as ideas for increasing revenue from car parking and other existing income activities.
Organisations receiving grants have been told to prepare for reductions.
But Cllr Griffiths said the council would honour its existing agreements and would not change funding until these end.
"None of the savings should hit front line services in Haverhill," he said.
He said the council would have to withstand extremely challenging cuts, but it was good at making savings and, with luck, these could be absorbed without affecting important services.
Haverhill Town Council took over the running of Haverhill Arts Centre on the basis of receiving a grant from St Edmundsbury and negotiated a reducing funding agreement for a period of five years.
Each year the grant has come down five per cent and this year stands at around £208,000.
Although St Edmundsbury's statement safeguards the coming financial year, the future beyond that is unclear.
The town council's arts and leisure manager Nick Keeble said they had been in negotiations to continue the grant after the end of the five years, but the level was still being discussed.
However, the town council has been making preparations based on a pessimistic view of the outcome.
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