Ellie Ames 01 February 2024

Culture spend down by £500m

Culture spend down by £500m image
Image: Ground Picture / Shutterstock.com

Analysis has uncovered an almost £500m reduction in councils’ spending on libraries, culture, heritage and tourism since the onset of austerity.

While councils remain the largest funders of arts and culture in England, budgeting just over £1.1bn for the services in 2023-24, this figure is down from almost £1.6bn in 2010-11, the County Councils Network (CCN) found.

With the average upper-tier council spending two-thirds of its budget on social care, authorities have been ‘unable to avoid’ reducing support for cultural services, the network said.

CCN vice chair Sam Corcoran said: ‘With councils under perhaps the most significant financial pressure in recent memory, scarce funding will have to be prioritised to addressing overspends in care services but the recent announcement of extra money for councils could potentially stave off the most severe reductions.

‘Nonetheless, with the costs of care unlikely to abate, in the longer term we need to have a clear discussion with the next government on the extent to which councils can fund library and cultural services with the funding envelope they receive.’

The CCN also called for the Cultural Development Fund to be continued under the next government, but with no competitive bidding process and with funds distributed fairly across the country.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Lifeguard - Shift Pattern 2

Ribble Valley Borough Council
Scale 1B (scp 3-4) £12.45 to £12.65 per hour
We are looking for an experienced lifeguard to perform lifeguard duties for the main and teaching pools Clitheroe, Lancashire
Recuriter: Ribble Valley Borough Council

Lifeguard – Shift Pattern 1

Ribble Valley Borough Council
Scale 1B (scp 3-4) £12.45 to £12.65 per hour
We are looking for an experienced lifeguard to perform lifeguard duties Clitheroe, Lancashire
Recuriter: Ribble Valley Borough Council

Lifeguard – Shift Pattern 2

Ribble Valley Borough Council
Scale 1B (scp 3-4) £12.45 to £12.65 per hour
We are looking for an experienced lifeguard to perform lifeguard duties Clitheroe, Lancashire
Recuriter: Ribble Valley Borough Council

Business Support to Senior Leader

Wakefield Council
£24,790 - £25,183, Grade 4, 37 hours, Permanent
Are you flexible, looking for a challenge and a role where no two days are the same? Then this is the role for you! Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council

Locality Team Manager - East

Wakefield Council
£49,764 - £52,805, Grade 12, 37 hours, Permanent
We are looking for a Locality Team Manager to lead and manage a Locality Team Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council
Linkedin Banner