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Three weeks left to secure future of town's theatre
A deal to find an organisation to run The Castle theatre in Wellingborough and secure the jobs of its staff needs to be struck within three weeks.
A contract to run the theatre needs to be signed by February 1 , but the Castle (Wellingborough) Ltd, which is currently in charge, has been unable to do a deal yet.
And if a deal is done, funding will still be cut by about 10 per cent from April.
The firm has been taking advice on how to equip itself with "the necessary expertise to meet the demands of operating in an environment where funding is more restricted and competition is more pressing".
Council documents reveal there is a risk of redundancies being made, but the council's corporate director Terry Wright said considering this was just a case of looking at the worst possible outcome.
He said: "We have to look at the worst case scenario, but it's
important to note that these are risks, not certainties. They may not happen.
"We will know more after the business plan, which covers financial management as well as artistic delivery, is presented and agreed by the Castle board and the council."
Despite the uncertainty, the theatre's executive director Gail Arnott said: "At this point in time The Castle board has not issued any at risk notices."
The uncertainty comes as Wellingborough Council prepares to cut the financial contributions it makes towards the running of the theatre.
The council currently gives the theatre 395,400 a year but is looking to reduce this by between 20 and 25 per cent, though this cut is not expected to take effect until April 2012.
A 10 per cent cut is proposed for next year.
Councillors had previously backed a plan for a new organisation to be set up to take over the running of the theatre, but this was overturned and negotiations with the current contract holders have continued. But the new company is still being worked up by council officers to provide a credible alternative arrangement.
At a meeting of the council's resources committee last week councillors called for clauses to be put into any new contract the council enters into with The Castle (Wellingborough) Ltd to oblige the company to be fully transparent with its finances.
At the meeting Cllr Graham Lawman said: "I want to be reassured we are not using the availability of the current contract holder and extending it come what may because it's the easy way out."
Mrs Arnott said she was "optimistic" that contract negotiations would continue "positively".
She said: "It would be much more disruptive if we have to end up working for a new company."
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Weather for Kettering
Sunday 27 May 2012
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