Town residents may have to find more cash for arts centre
Wednesday, 19th January 2011.
Town councillors' hopes of making no increase in their part of council tax could be dashed by fears about the future of the town's Arts Centre.
Haverhill Town Council had planned for a sero increase in their precept for 2011-12, but have been unable to elicit any undertakings from St Edmundsbury Borough Council about the Arts Centre's grant beyond 2012.
The borough council grant funds the Arts Centre on a five-year decreasing agreement which comes to an end in 2012.
It may continue to fund, or part-fund, the centre but has said it cannot make the decision until the new council is elected in May and considers its budgets in the autumn.
By then, if the borough axed its grant, the town council would find any significant increase in its precept subject to a possible referendum under new legislation which is being brought in.
Members last night indicated they might favour the idea of raising their council tax this year instead, to ensure the Arts Centre can continue to function.
A report by town clerk Gordon Mussett showed three models. As well as the one which would protect the centre, there were two scenarios in which the town council did nothing.
In the first, the borough might grant fund the standing costs of the building only, leaving a shortfall, so that some staff might need to be made redundant and the programme would be reduced, but the centre would remain open, at least some of the time.
In the second, the borough might give no grant at all, in which case there would be several redundancies and the building would revert to what it was before its 1994 refurbishment - a sort of community centre, but still costing a lot of money to maintain.
The increase in council tax being considered would be about £1.50 a month at band B level, which most properties in Haverhill are.
Any referendum cost would fall on the council, which would not be allowed to explain the details of its reasons or produce leaflets to canvass support for its proposals.
Cllr Margaret Marks said she was opposed to the referendum route.
"Not enough people in the town would understand it and the value of what the Arts Centre provides," she said. "They will just see it as a visible cost to them."
But Labour group leader Cllr Maureen Byrne said she disagreed and felt if there was a referendum the council had a job of work to do in fighting its cause.
"We don't want to see anyone made redundant," she said. "We've got enough of that in the town already. At the moment we've got some at IFF and now at Marchants.
"We would have to explain to people it is tremendous what we do for the town with the Arts Centre."
Cllr Mary Martin said she thought people would be prepared to put their hands in their pockets if they were made aware what was at stake.
Cllr Clive Turner said Haverhill people would not want to lose the facility. "We should bring forward what we need to do to protect it," he said. "This is not a lifelong decision and it could be reversed if times change. But it protects what we do for a couple of years."
Cllr Les Ager said in cash terms it was not a lot of money. "People I speak to would be quite willing to pay for what is one of the jewels in Haverhill's crown, and something we need to maintain," he said.
Haverhill Town Council had planned for a sero increase in their precept for 2011-12, but have been unable to elicit any undertakings from St Edmundsbury Borough Council about the Arts Centre's grant beyond 2012.
The borough council grant funds the Arts Centre on a five-year decreasing agreement which comes to an end in 2012.
It may continue to fund, or part-fund, the centre but has said it cannot make the decision until the new council is elected in May and considers its budgets in the autumn.
By then, if the borough axed its grant, the town council would find any significant increase in its precept subject to a possible referendum under new legislation which is being brought in.
Members last night indicated they might favour the idea of raising their council tax this year instead, to ensure the Arts Centre can continue to function.
A report by town clerk Gordon Mussett showed three models. As well as the one which would protect the centre, there were two scenarios in which the town council did nothing.
In the first, the borough might grant fund the standing costs of the building only, leaving a shortfall, so that some staff might need to be made redundant and the programme would be reduced, but the centre would remain open, at least some of the time.
In the second, the borough might give no grant at all, in which case there would be several redundancies and the building would revert to what it was before its 1994 refurbishment - a sort of community centre, but still costing a lot of money to maintain.
The increase in council tax being considered would be about £1.50 a month at band B level, which most properties in Haverhill are.
Any referendum cost would fall on the council, which would not be allowed to explain the details of its reasons or produce leaflets to canvass support for its proposals.
Cllr Margaret Marks said she was opposed to the referendum route.
"Not enough people in the town would understand it and the value of what the Arts Centre provides," she said. "They will just see it as a visible cost to them."
But Labour group leader Cllr Maureen Byrne said she disagreed and felt if there was a referendum the council had a job of work to do in fighting its cause.
"We don't want to see anyone made redundant," she said. "We've got enough of that in the town already. At the moment we've got some at IFF and now at Marchants.
"We would have to explain to people it is tremendous what we do for the town with the Arts Centre."
Cllr Mary Martin said she thought people would be prepared to put their hands in their pockets if they were made aware what was at stake.
Cllr Clive Turner said Haverhill people would not want to lose the facility. "We should bring forward what we need to do to protect it," he said. "This is not a lifelong decision and it could be reversed if times change. But it protects what we do for a couple of years."
Cllr Les Ager said in cash terms it was not a lot of money. "People I speak to would be quite willing to pay for what is one of the jewels in Haverhill's crown, and something we need to maintain," he said.
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