HAMPSHIRE ARTS UNDER THREAT

10.03.41am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 18th Jul 2007

Winchester's Tower Arts Centre is under threat and must be saved to safeguard Hampshire's arts scene according to Romsey MP Sandra Gidley.

Professional music and drama will no longer be performed at the centre after Hampshire County Council approved the plan to hand it over to Kings' school. The school will be unable to subsidise the Tower with the £100,000 a year budget that the County and City Councils have previously awarded and so many of the events currently staged at the tower will be lost.

Commenting Sandra Gidley said:

"This move will have devastating affects on arts in the whole of Hampshire not just Winchester, especially as the Council is looking at downsizing other arts centres in the region.

"Local Liberal Democrats are fighting tooth and nail to stop this move; it has been rushed through without proper public consultation.

"The way this has been handled is totally underhanded as it seems the Council are more concerned with saving money than encouraging local people to become involved in the arts. Convenient local access is critical to that."

Martin Tod, Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for Winchester, who will be attending the demonstration at the Tower on Wednesday morning, added:

"I was at the Decision Day meeting when Councillor Snaith decided to go ahead with these plans and was genuinely appalled at the complete refusal to listen to local people's views, the disgraceful lack of consultation, the incompetent planning and the half-baked thinking behind the Conservative administration's decision.

"The Conservatives have taken the Tower Arts Centre and put in place a plan that will 'save the tower' but end the 'arts' programme that goes with it for people in Winchester and across Hampshire. The Conservatives should start listening to local people and come back with a new plan