Arts Centre to close due to council cutbacks

Published by: The Northern Echo

CAMPAIGNERS last night vowed that the fight to save a popular arts centre will go on after a council said the venue will be closed next summer because of spending cuts.

Darlington Arts Centre is to close next summer after 33 years in its venue – a former teacher training college. Following a lengthy inquiry, Darlington Borough Council unveiled a new arts vision for the town yesterday among its budget proposals for the forthcoming year.

The authority will keep open the previously-threatened Civic Theatre, which will remain under council ownership as a result of saving VAT from ticket sales. The council wants to sell the Arts Centre, in Vane Terrace, and use the proceeds to open a performance venue in the town centre, preferably next to the town hall.

Nick Brewster, of Darlington for Culture, a group set up last year to save the Arts Centre, said: “The battle for the Arts Centre is not over and, in many ways, is only just starting. We know from the past year that there will be a groundswell of support for our efforts to save the centre.

“We are looking to the council to ensure that the only Arts Centre in Darlington, which is home to professional artists and groups as well as being the venue for music, comedy, film, theatre, visual arts, clubs and societies, can continue to enrich the life of the town.”

The council’s proposals include cuts to a number of other services, a 3.5 per cent rise in council tax and 155 redundancies – 90 at the Arts Centre. Council leader Bill Dixon said: “We have tried to produce as balanced a budget as best we can. We face some horrendous cuts. We want to protect the vulnerable and maintain the same kind of first-class arts and culture offer we have in the borough.

“It gives us the fantastic opportunity to have a nationally-recognised arts facility.

In the midst of the budget cuts, which are the worst we have ever brought forward, to bring anything out of that is phenomenal.” Councillor Heather Scott, leader of the Conservatives in Darlington, said: “We are in very tough financial times and everyone has to share the hardship.”

She said the Conservative group would look at tabling individual proposals.

Unison said it would consult with its members, who it said were “being made to pay the price for Cameron, Clegg and Osborne’s economic madness”.

Branch secretary Joe White said: “Our members are rightly angry at the repeated attacks on their jobs, terms and conditions. We believe these cuts are too far and too fast.”

Where the cuts are proposed

DARLINGTON Borough Council has proposed to reduce its spending by an estimated £10.8m. As well as the arts vision, its proposals include.

• Increasing council tax by 3.5 per cent.

• Closing Cockerton library and East Row toilets.

• Stopping subsidies from all bus services and Shopmobility.

• Reducing subsidies for consultation with older people.

• Reducing the Connexions youth service to focus on more vulnerable users.

• Phasing in the removal of home to school transport for new students who live within three miles of schools.

• Increasing Sunday parking charges in line with weekday prices.

• Voluntary school crossing patrols.

• Focus CCTV on the town centre only.

• Outsourcing and sharing some services.

The council will also consult on 155 redundancies – 90 at the Arts Centre, a three year pay freeze for staff and ask staff to take three days unpaid leave.