Overwhelming Public Support for Artrix Plan

We would like to say a sincere thank you to all the local residents who gave us their overwhelming support for our plan to save Artrix.

At a Bromsgrove District Council meeting on 22 February, the Liberal Democrats proposed an alternative budget which would have seen council tax increase by a further 20 pence a month for the average band D household to fund a rescue plan for Artrix. We recognise completely the severity of the cost of living crisis but we believe 20 pence represents a fair balance between saving Artrix and the recognising the financial pressures on taxpayers. The lowest earners are exempt from paying council tax.

The Lib Dem proposal would have raised £92,000 a year for Artrix. This is not a pie in the sky figure as some have suggested. Bromsgrove District Council used to fund Artrix to the tune of £61,000 per annum before the Council withdrew the subsidy and we all know what has happened since.

We were humbled to see our proposal attract such huge support, with many residents attending the Bromsgrove District Council meeting, and writing to us or commenting about the plan on social media.

Sadly, the plan did not achieve cross-party support as Labour and the Conservatives voted it down. Certain councillors who are members of the Artrix Holding Trust were unable to take part in the debate, however of those councillors in attendance, only the Lib Dems and independent councillors voted for the plan and we are grateful to the independents for giving us their support.

The Conservatives argued that it is not their responsibility to decide and it is for the Holding Trust to come up with a plan instead of the Council. Yet this argument is disingenuous. The majority of the Holding Trust is made up of councillors, Bromsgrove District Council owns the land on which Artrix sits, the Council built Artrix in the first place and the Council used to subsidise it. The Conservatives have still not explained where they expect the money to come from if the Holding Trust does produce a viable plan, prolonging uncertainty over Artrix's future. Our view remains that funding should have been made available transparently as part of the 2023/24 budget setting process.

With no funding on the table from Bromsgrove District Council it is hard to see how it can now reopen this year but we still believe it is not too late to save Artrix, and the Lib Dems will continue to campaign for it to reopen as a community arts centre as soon as possible.

Thanks again for your support. Working together we have demonstrated the determination of the people of this district to see Artrix open its doors once again, and this cannot be ignored anymore.