Museums and Care and Repair saved

8th February, 2011

Many thanks to all those people who campaigned against the proposed closure of our museums, the art gallery and the Care and Repair service. Along with fellow council back benchers I supported alternatives to these cuts which means they will not go ahead. This is the second time in my political life I have helped save the museums from closure.

Instead we will find the money from axing some advertising £26,000, Extra parking income £100,000, reductions in subscriptions to outside bodies £300,000 and we can also look at budgets for new furniture and conference attendance £450,000. With this money we can protect front line services and job cuts being forced on us by this Tory led government. I was pleased to be able to explain this on Radio Leicester this morning.  Money will go back into Bus subsidies, Planning staff to enforce planning conditions, Museums, the City Gallery staff – so that we can continue to run the gallery at New Walk Museum until we bring forward the plans to build a replacement, the gardener at Gilroes cemetery, the Care and Repair scheme, Anti social behaviour work and the youth service. We have also found enough money not to charge people to go into New Walk museum.

I hope that we can find still more money to protect Adult social care and to make sure real alternatives are in place before any changes are made.

Whilst we are still having to make cuts forced on us by the government I firmly believe that Labour councillors need to stand between this government and the people of the city protecting front line services. I am grateful to my colleagues on the Labour Group for supporting the proposals especially Cllrs Patrick Kitterick and Andy Connelly who put a lot of work into developing them.

Update

Leicester Mercury front page on saving the museums.

I have been asked to point out that he outcome that I and colleagues have achieved also protects the Abbey Pumping Station, one of my favourite buildings in the city, not just because of the architecture and the Gimson engines, but because of their original purpose and its impact on improving the health of thousands of people. It stands as a testament to enlightened public endeavour.