Arts fest axed as council saves cash

Jan 19 2006 By Emma Cullwick, Birmingham Mail

COUNCIL chiefs have scrapped plans to stage an arts and music festival in Redditch - to save cash.

The news comes after the Birmingham Mail revealed that more than 70 jobs could be axed at Redditch Borough Council under proposals to save more than £1 million.

Community services could be slashed and tourist attractions such as Forge Mill Needle Museum could be closed.

The council has now released the proposed list of service cuts after the Mail's revelations - with officers stressing that the proposed cuts were not a fait accompli.

A final decision will be made at the full council meeting on Monday January 30.

Meanwhile, council chiefs said they can not justify spending cash on the AiR festival. Last year's flopped, failing to draw in the crowds despite a celebrity line-up including Jools Holland and Natasha Bedingfield.

Ticket sales failed to recoup the £644,000 outlay. Despite fierce criticism, the authority pledged to hold a scaled-down version of the festival this August, costing £100,000, but councillors have now decided to cancel it.

Plans were well-established, with the entertainment including a high wire walk by stuntman Ranib Kelvink, famous for walking between church spires in Coventry and skyscrapers in New York.

Council leader Phil Mould said: "As we're looking at ways of saving money we can't justify spending £100,000 on the festival.

"It's a shame because it would have been a terrific event. There's always a possibility of running it in future years."