Culture not statutory but it is essential...

The news that legendary rock band the Manic Street Preachers is to perform in front of thousands on Peterborough’s Embankment comes as the debate about whether the city can ‘afford culture’ rages following the announcement of phase two of the council’s budget proposals. The city council’s finances make grim reading. There is a huge budget gap and residents are facing big tax rises. It may be inevitable as city council leader Wayne Fitzgerald has outlined, but that doesn’t make it palatable. The Key Theatre has been ‘saved’ from closure by the intervention of leading promoters Sellador. That is welcome news and in the longer run it may be that this much-loved city venue is better off in the hands of the professionals who do nothing else but stage successful shows. The challenges facing the council can’t be underestimated and many of the cuts to budgets are being mitigated with some creative and more cost-effective solutions, but many are not and the impact on some services seems inevitable. Things like the Christmas lights switch-on and the Great Eastern Run may not be statutory commitments but they do transform the way the city is perceived. It may be that in the short term the city can’t afford many cultural events, it may also be that business sponsorship can be found to support some. But in the longer term culture must be protected. Let’s hope that once this huge financial hurdle has been negotiated the council’s finances are more stable and the ‘budget crisis’ drama does not have an extended run.