#Croydon Conservative Council still needs to answer questions on the Arts.

The Conservative Cabinet of Croydon Council last night passed in full a paper that basically deletes the Arts from provision in Croydon.

The Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Dudley Mead declared that this was perfectly sound decision because the Fairfield Halls is still being funded. Councillor Dudley Mead failed to declare that he is also Chair of Fairfield Halls (Croydon) Ltd. An ‘independent’ Charity.

What the Conservative Cabinet decided last night:

To close the following:

• David Lean Cinema
• Braithwaite Hall
• Main Exhibition gallery
• Space ‘C’ gallery at the Clocktower
• Stanley Halls, South Norwood
• Selsdon Halls,
• Canterbury Hall, Broad Green/West Croydon
• Clocktower Arts

Remaining Budget of £2.282 million

The Conservative Cabinet decided to cut £1.482million from the ‘Arts and Heritage’ budget.

The full budget for this service in 2010/11 is £3.764million (budget book page CS1.1C)

The Cut of £1.482million leaves a service total of £2.282million

The Cabinet members and the Director of Finance refused to answer what this remaining budget will be spent on. It is understood that up to £1million is the budget for keeping the buildings open (or mothballed/closed?).

BUT the cabinet has now decided to cut ALL of the staffing of 34.5 FTE (Full Time Equivalent Posts)

Arts – 7 Staff

Heritage – 11.5 Staff

Operations and Business Support – 15.5 Staff

Total: 34

Remaining Staff

Paragraph 4.3 of the Cabinet paper lists the total number of staff to be deleted as “28-29 posts”

That would indicate that the Council is seeking to run the Museum and Local studies library with only 5 or 6 staff.

This is driven by trying to avoid paying back the heritage lottery grant of almost £1million.

Local Studies and Museum with only 5 staff?

How you can deliver a proper Local Studies Library AND a museum on 5 or 6 staff is beyond me. I don't think that either of these services is safe, until we see what they are actually proposing.  A dedicated facebook exists to support this service.

Arts Council Grant Loss

The Clocktower was due to receive £94,037 for Venue Development from the arts Council in 2011/12. This has now been lost, in addition it is understood that the Clocktower Arts team were confident of having this external funding renewed.

This area was not even covered in the Council report

Community Halls

The community halls bring in an income of £335,000 per year. Their closure will mean this income stream is given up

Combined income Grants + rental income

The total of external funding and commercial income from hires is £430,000

Top Heavy Management

Above the cuts to the Arts & Heritage is a budget called ‘Cultural Central’ – this spends £414,000 and employs only 3.4 Staff.

What is it, and could this budget be directed to save our front line services?

Footnote

more background on this at the local blog 'Inside Croydon'