AFTER my recent petition about the 100 per cent funding cut to Salisbury Arts Centre, I have received an email telling me how the council was “unable to”

continue funding Salisbury Arts Centre as it was “least damaging to the whole of the city” and “that the Arts Centre had more flexibility” for the cuts.

I am still not certain that Wiltshire Council consulted anyone about their decisions.

When I wrote to the government regarding our council, they said: “The government understands the important part that arts facilities play in local communities.

Local councils now have more flexibility over how they can use central government grants, alongside locally-raised income from Council Tax, Business Rates, fees and charges.

“This gives them more freedom over the money they receive and enables them to work with their residents to decide how best to spend it on local priorities.

“Councils now have more power than ever before, but they need to act in their residents’ best interests and work harder on their behalf.”

I would like to make sure by sending this letter that citizens of Wiltshire can, if they would like to, sign my petition and trigger a discussion in Trowbridge at the council.

Please share the petition to get this discussed; we need 4,700 signatures to make this happen.

www.change.org/p/wiltshirecouncil-please-revise-thefunding-cut-to-the-arts-centre

KATE BUTTIMER Salisbury