Sedgemoor District Council has not withdrawn funding from Bridgwater Arts centre.   The Arts Centre has been given the full funding as agreed as part of the building transfer equating to £44,410 paid earlier this year, with a further £35,000 paid in November.

Sedgemoor District Council has for many years funded a significant proportion of the Bridgwater Arts Centre by way on an annual grant.

The building in which the Arts Centre is located belongs to Sedgemoor District Council.  Following negotiations earlier in this year, the Council granted a 125-year lease to the Arts Centre which replaced the annual grant.  The lease, which was completed on 6th June 2011, gave the Arts Centre a peppercorn rent for the first 20 years and transitional funding over three years, on the basis that this was a full and final settlement.   By the Arts Centre having this lease, it enables them to apply for grant funding from other sources, which would not the case if they did not have a long lease.

Whilst SDC are saddened and concerned to hear of the financial situation of the Arts Centre, this package was seen as a final grant payment with no commitment to pay further sums other than the transitional funding as agreed.

Of course, any request for additional funding would be outside of the agreement reached in June 2011 would be considered, but in the knowledge that it would be considered alongside requests from other organisations within the limitations of existing budgets.