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Library fears over Vivacity cash cut
Vivacity chief executive Kevin Tighe. Photo: Peterborough ET
CONCERNS have been expressed at the impact budget cuts to Peterborough’s culture and leisure provider will have on library opening hours.
Peterborough City Council announced recently that it intends to reduce its yearly funding to Vivacity by a £100,000, with council chiefs stating this could impact on services.
And Vivacity, which currently receives £3.142 million a year from the council to provide services such as libraries, sports centres and cultural services such as the Key Theatre, has admitted the cut will mean a reduction in services, although it has not yet said what services would be affected.
That has not stopped city councillors express their disquiet at what they believe will mean reduced opening hours at city libraries.
Ravensthorpe councillor Ed Murphy thinks it could even lead to library closures, saying: “These budget cuts will mean a reduction in services to residents, with library closures and reduced opening hours back on the agenda.
“The introduction of charges at the museum will also be contemplated if they are able to afford to open it after the refurbishment it is currently undergoing.”
The budget proposals set forward by the council also includes a reduction in funding to the tune of £420,000 to Enterprise Peterborough, which handles the council’s city services department.
Kevin Tighe, chief executive of Vivacity, has expressed his disappointment at the proposal put forward by the council, considering the culture trust has handed back £180,000 of savings to the council in this year alone.
He said: “We are disappointed that Peterborough City Council are looking to reduce the services across culture and leisure provided by Vivacity, although we acknowledge the challenging economic times in which these proposals are being made and the difficult decisions that are having to be made.
“To have to deliver a further £100,000 of savings would be a challenge and would mean a reduction in services to our customers.
“We will work closely in partnership with the Council to help them determine how to take this forward.”
Another councillor to express disappointment at the cut was Walton councillor Nick Sandford.
He said: “I would say it’s clear that Vivacity are going to have to make cuts because of the council’s reduction in their funding.
“The Lib Dem group has always argued that libraries are a basic service which should be kept under direct local authority control.
“Libraries help children to learn to read and enable people of all ages, particularly those on lower incomes.
“Many councils have set up leisure/cultural trusts but only a few have included libraries.”
What do you think about possible cuts to Vivacity’s services?
Contact our news team by email news@peterboroughtoday.co.uk, telephone 01733 588719, on Twitter - @peterboroughet or use our Have Your Say form
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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Comments
There are 8 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
badwolf
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 12:17 AMi think it's funny council have cut funding to vivacity, then moan they have to make cut back!! HELLO THAT LITTLE GERBIL ISNT STAYING ON IT'S WHEEL.Libraries are always the first to be cut back, i do remember them being open on a Sunday, but i dunno how any other library users feel but i think there has been a total drop in people,it seems most are there to either use the free computers, or just to sit somewhere warm, maybe someone can correct me on that.
mithras
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 07:24 PMI never understood why libraries in the City are not open in the evenings or on a Sunday. Perhaps too many people might want to use them when they are not at work, school or college etc. They could be run by volunteers in between shifts as lollypop crossing patrols and running other council public services. All part of Dave`s Big Society .
doesitmakeadifference
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 05:49 PM@4....Have you ever known PCC to make a logical decision like that...and you never will with Marco 'Water Taxis' Cereste in charge..
Dalek Sec
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 05:13 PMEric Pickles said councils have a "moral duty2 not to raise council tax this year. That means that PCC are imoral - and that's the view of a fellow Tory!
Bamboozler
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 05:07 PM#3 - Those funds are for rainy day!. Hello PCC, you cannot get more wet than recession like this, We have to dig our hands in our pockets, why can't the Council.
aressee
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 03:17 PM'Older&Wiser' You might just be interested to know then that Peterborough City Council has £6.2million in reserves - I understood breaking into this would be a priority by PCC to prevent a council tax rise this year - but obviously not.
Older&Wiser
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 12:42 PMIf I had my way, council money would be spent as follows. Firstly, what services must be provided by law and what is their cost. Secondly, IF THERE ARE FUNDS REMAINING, the local populace within the council tax area could vote on the the items they would like on forms provided in the local library. This would then, hopefully, prevent projects which are not popular but are some councillor's "bee in the bonnet". I am sick and tired of having to suffer council tax rises because some thoughtless prat has an idea they would like to inflict on other people. Maybe it should be mandatory for all prospective councillors to have their intelligence and common sense tested before they are appointed. How to do that reasonably, I do not know.
aressee
Monday, January 23, 2012 at 11:15 AMHere we go again, libraries are without doubt in danger in any exercise of financial caution with this bunch of morons we have this fight to save libraries EVERY year. It's O.K. to spend £600.000 on 'Water taxis' but not on the preservation of an essential and educational service, sometimes I despair at these berks and the likes of Peterborough City Council who can now lay blame elsewhere.
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