Leicestershire's Cultural Assets: CULTURAL ASSETS An Output of the Visioning a Cultural and Creative County: Developing Leicestershire County Council’s Cultural Strategy (VCCC) Project

Frost, Sophie; Mutibwa, Daniel H.

Abstract

It is a time of crisis for regional government. The Local Government Association (LGA) estimates that English councils are facing a funding gap of almost £3bn over the next two years due to inflation, the National Living Wage, energy costs and ongoing increasing demand for services (LGA, 2023). Across the country, local authorities are being asked to do more with less. This year Nottingham City Council, Woking Borough Council, and Birmingham City Council have announced their bankruptcy, with 7 councils receiving a section 114 notice since 2020.1 With the recent announcement of Birmingham City Council’s bankruptcy, several councils (many of whom are in proximity to Leicestershire including Derby City Council, Coventry, and Stoke-on-Trent) have warned of financial distress (The Guardian, Sept 5, 2023). It is therefore a particularly significant moment to emphasise the value of cultural services within the wider remit of Leicestershire County Council (LCC). Emphasis should also be placed on the vital role that local community events and related engagement play in overall cultural services provision. Typifying the situation, in December 2023 Leeds City Council announced budget proposals for 24/25 to save £58.4m due to local government budget cuts that will have significant and long-lasting impact on cultural and heritage sites across the city. They included: reducing opening hours at community hubs and libraries, reviewing fees for the hiring of community centres, the closure of Pudsey Civic Hall venue, ending the lease of Thwaite Watermill Museum, and an overall reduction in council staffing by 750 full-time equivalent posts (Leeds.gov.uk, 5 Dec 2023).

Citation

Frost, S., & Mutibwa, D. H. (2024). Leicestershire's Cultural Assets: CULTURAL ASSETS An Output of the Visioning a Cultural and Creative County: Developing Leicestershire County Council’s Cultural Strategy (VCCC) Project. Nottingham: UKRI Research England

• Report Type: Policy Document
• Publication Date: Mar 11, 2024
• Deposit Date: Feb 15, 2025
• Pages: 1-28
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/45409949
• Publisher URL: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/clas/documents/visioning-and-creative-and-cultural-county/resources/baseline-asset-mapping-vccc-output-frost-mutibwa-2024.pdf
• Additional Information: Leicestershire's Cultural Assets. Baseline Asset Mapping Output