Petition started in bid to save Peterborough arts centre threatened with closure

Campaigners hoping to save an arts centre in Peterborough have started a petition in a bid to show the support for saving the site.

Peterborough City Council is planning on turning Chauffeurs Cottage – located at the back of the Cathedral – into a care leavers facility to be run by children’s services.

However, that would mean evicting Metal Culture, which currently manages the site, as well as Peterborough Presents, theatre company Eastern Angles, Red 7 Productions, as well as several creative freelancers among the tenants of the building.

Metal Peterborough and the other cultural organisations at Chauffeurs Cottage have been at the heart of culture in the city for the last 12 years. They have engaged with over 1.5 million people and brought in over £5.6 million to the city in that time.

“Everyone in the arts and culture world has been mortified by the news"

Jay Gearing, film maker and director from Red 7 Productions, said: “Since the announcement was made, everyone in the arts and culture world has been mortified by the news.

"Arts and culture provision is not a huge sector in Peterborough – there will be a large, detrimental impact if this goes ahead.

"People come here from all around the region – all across Europe, in fact. If we lose the cottage, we would lose a place to meet, discuss and galvanise over our work.

"The council have said they will try and find a new venue, but we are not aware of one that would be suitable – and certainly not one that would be suitable for us and not suitable for a care leavers facility.

"We need access in the city centre, so people who are disabled, young people, people who cannot drive, can get here.

"We know that budgets are tight, and that children’s services need to be better than they are – but it should not be a choice between one thing and another.

"There are benefits of engaging with art and culture – health, mental health and so on.

"The Arts Council recognise that Peterborough is an area of low engagement in the arts – if the Arts Council recognises that, so should the city council.”

“We believe that PCC’s decision to evict the organisations at Chauffeurs Cottage with no alternative on offer and next to no time to organise one is nothing short of a disaster for culture for the city "

The petition itself says: “We the undersigned petition the council to We the undersigned petition the council to stop the eviction of the arts organisations housed at Chauffeurs Cottage. In the event that this is not possible we request an extension to the current eviction notice until a suitable, and agreed, replacement premises is found for the current tenants.

“This petition has been put together by local artists and residents.

“Metal Peterborough and the other cultural organisations at Chauffeurs Cottage have been at the heart of culture in the city for the last 12 years. They have engaged with over 1.5 million people and brought in over £5.6 million to the city in that time.

“Regardless of the clear impact that these organisations have had in Peterborough PCC has given Metal and those based at Chauffeurs Cottage (Peterborough Presents, Eastern Angles, Red 7 Productions and creative freelancers) a 3 month eviction notice with no alternative premises on offer. This eviction will make way for Child Services to take up residence at Chauffeurs Cottage. We recognise that Child Services are incredibly important and should receive the support they need, we do not believe these are mutually exclusive.

“We believe that PCC’s decision to evict the organisations at Chauffeurs Cottage with no alternative on offer and next to no time to organise one is nothing short of a disaster for culture for the city and threatens the very core of the cultural sector.

“We also believe the council will find it easier to rehouse one organisation rather than find two in the event of the planned eviction going ahead.”

“Our need to support some of the most vulnerable children in Peterborough has to be our number one priority."

Council leader Dennis Jones said: “We agree that culture is an important part of our city's future. However, in this instance, our need to support some of the most vulnerable children in Peterborough has to be our number one priority.

"A three-month notice to vacate Chauffeurs Cottage was served to Metal Culture last month and we have been working with the group to try and find alternative premises that meet its needs. We have just extended the notice period to four months to give Metal more time to relocate.

"Although we greatly value the work of Metal Culture, we need the building to create a new dedicated Care Leavers Day Facility – something which was identified by Ofsted as urgently needed in the city. Using this site means we can create the facility at a lower cost, which is essential given our very difficult financial position.

"The day facility needs to be in a city centre location, with good public transport links, so that it is easily accessible. Chauffeurs Cottage is ideally situated, it is private enough to allow confidentiality and has an outdoor space which can be used by the young people it serves.

"Since 2011 Chauffeurs Cottage has been leased to Metal Culture on a rent-free basis. Our current budget pressures do not allow this arrangement to continue and any future venue we provide for Metal will be on a paid rented basis.”

To sign the petition, visit https://peterborough.moderngov.co.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?id=130&TPID=12201807