Cuts to Corn Exchange "will damage economy"

David Livermore, who described the venue as being an integral part of social and cultural life in Newbury over the past 15 years, has written to West Berkshire Council to urge it to reconsider the proposal to cut £170,000 from the theatre’s budget as part of its plan to save £11m over the next two years.
In his letter, Mr Livermore said: “Such cuts will unquestionably have a detrimental effect on the cultural life of Newbury and the losses in terms of facilities and skills could well prove irretrievable.
“It cannot be right, for the sake of short-term savings, to impose such damage on the future well-being of our town.
“It is disappointing that yet again the council fails to recognise the economic as well as the cultural benefit that the Corn Exchange,
Newbury Spring Festival and other arts providers bring to Newbury.
“The council expects the Corn Exchange to make up the shortfall in funding through sponsorship and other charitable sources... It is simply unrealistic to expect the Corn Exchange to raise the necessary funds this way.
“From car parking, to pubs and restaurants, there is no question that spending in all of these will decline considerably if the Corn Exchange is forced to reduce its activities as a result of such a dramatic and immediate cut in funding.”
Mr Livermore is the latest in a line of high-profile figures to express concern about the level of the proposed cuts.
Last month, in a consultation letter to the council, Lord Carnarvon, who is chairman of the trustees at the Corn Exchange, called the plan “short-sighted” and said that any reduction in
funding could “threaten the future of a great local resource much loved by many people”.
Shortly after the proposals were announced, the director of the Corn Exchange, Katy Griffiths, warned that it could have “far reaching consequences” for the venue.
It is not just the arts which could be affected by the council’s planned cuts to services.
Other areas hit could include tourism, with the council looking to completely withdraw its £60,000 funding, leaving the Tourism Information Centre in Newbury facing closure.
The roads could also take a significant hit, with £165,000 likely to be saved from the roads maintenance budget, and 41 per cent from the road safety budget.
It also plans to almost halve its public convenience budget, meaning some parishes could be forced to pick up the cost of keeping their toilets open.
There could also be a reduction in opening hours at seven libraries in the district, while eight school crossings could close to save the council £16,000 a year.
The consultation period has now ended and the council says it will look at all the responses in January before being handed to councillors at a meeting of the executive on February 13.
A final decision is due at a full meeting March 4