[Gayle]

I ducked out of the discussion last night because it was getting late and I was tired. Funnily enough I had been out earlier in the evening to the theatre - to Burnley.

So to answer a few questions.

HBC got an Arts Council grant to fund the arts posts, so argue that either way they were employed by HBC but with money from elsewhere - the grant has run out as they all do and HBC has decided that instead of building on the work that they are only just starting to do, they will scrap the jobs and leave us with a distinct lack of arts activities.

But once again I must stress that just because you don't know about them doesn't mean that the work that they are doing isn't valuable to this town.

The theatre situation is terrible - I had to go to Burnley to see something. The Mechanics always has good stuff on and it's only a slightly larger theatre than Ossy. This is something that needs fixing and I've on numerous ocassions approached the Council to ask to look at their business plan for the theatre and always been refused. Perhaps I might get some authority in the near future to demand it.

Public art - yes we need some. And again, if the current regime changes then it is possible that HBC may be open to some.

Mid Pennine Arts have pulled out of Hyndburn (more or less) because HBC have refused to pay their subscription to MPA. The other Councils in the area - Rossendale, Pendle and Burnley - continue to pay their subscriptions so naturally MPA will concentrate on working in those areas.

So I will stick to my guns about the arts dev officers, they are much needed.

But the rest of the issues, you know I wholeheartedly agree. We are an area bereft of arts and culture and it's one thing that I will be (hopefully) in a position to tackle very soon!