Andrew Lloyd Webber says Suffolk arts cuts 'short-sighted'

Composer Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber said a county's "extremely short-sighted" plan to cut arts funding by 100% would leave towns "emptier".

In January, Suffolk County Council announced plans to cut £65m from its budget, including ending £500,000 of funding to the arts and museums.

Lord Lloyd Webber said the planned cuts were "very concerning" and would damage the local economy.

The council said the cuts were needed to support care services.

After the council's proposals were announced, arts organisations provided funding in the past - including DanceEast, Eastern Angles Theatre Company, First Light Festival, The New Wolsey Theatre, Primadonna Festival, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds and Suffolk Artlink - expressed their worries.

In a joint statement, the organisations said: "Our immediate concern is how any decision might impact the people of Suffolk."

Lord Lloyd Webber told BBC Politics East the cuts were "obviously very concerning because what theatre brings into a town is extraordinary".

"Cutting the grants to those sort of theatres is cutting the potential business to the towns themselves - there's a whole eco-system around theatres," he said.

"Cuts of this kind are extremely short-sighted because it means that city centres are going to become emptier than ever now. It makes one almost despair."

He added that the councillors did not seem to understand that "arts are an integral part of our nation and they have got to be supported".

Bobby Bennett, Suffolk County Council cabinet member for equality and communities, said: "This is the most challenging budget-setting process we have seen for many years. Councils up and down the country are facing huge pressures on their budgets.

"Like many councils, we are seeing an unprecedented increase in need for services that safeguard and care for Suffolk's most vulnerable residents. Next year alone, the amount we must spend on children's services will increase by 28% and on adults by 14%."

She said the council "must ensure the limited resources it has available are spent directly supporting those most in need".

Ms Bennett added that the "£528,000, which is the amount the council currently contributes towards nine arts and cultural organisations budgets, could help to pay for these services".

"Whilst we very much value the work done by the arts and cultural sector, we must focus our limited resources on the services where we have a legal duty to deliver," he said.

BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday, 21 January at 10:00 GMT on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC iPlayer.

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