By Andrew Clarke

Last updated at 11:56, Thursday, 11 October 2012

WHITEHAVEN’S tourism and arts look set to be worst hit under Copeland Council’s budget proposals, with the town’s Civic Hall, Beacon museum and Tourist Information Centre all earmarked for closure.

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The closure of The Beacon – set to happen in April 2014 – will save the council £325,000 per year. The harbourside facility, which opened in July 1996 at a cost of over £3 million, provides a range of services including museum and art exhibitions and is used by schools, residents and visitors. It also hosts a number of local interest groups and clubs.

The Beacon is operated by Copeland at a cost of £450,000 a year – of which it recoups less than 30 per cent.

It is proposed to reduce opening hours by April next year, and to stop funding educational, cultural events, exhibitions and to reduce the support it gives to other museums in Copeland. All this will save £104,000 by April 2013, with a further £301,000 being saved when it closes in April 2014.

The Beacon, which employs 13 people, will only remain open after Copeland withdraws its funding if another organisation steps in to run it. The council says that talks are ongoing with a potential partner.

Whitehaven Civic Hall and Cleator Moor Bowls Centre are both owned by Copeland and run by North Country Leisure (NCL), who employ the staff. Copeland plans to withdraw all funding to NCL for these facilities. Unless alternative providers can be found to run them without a subsidy, the Bowls Centre will close by April 2013 and the Civic by November 2013.

Both facilities cost the council money; for every person that uses them it costs the council £3.15 at the Civic Hall and 43p for each user of the Bowls Centre.

Whitehaven’s Tourist Information Centre in Market Place will close in April, it is proposed, with a saving of £61,000. It employs four people.

All public toilets operated by Copeland Council will close by April next year, unless partners step up to run them. These include James Street (Whitehaven), Cleator Moor Square, Chapel Street (Egremont) and St Bees foreshore. This would save a total of £41,000.

The council plans to reduce its funding for Copeland Pool and Whitehaven Sports Centre – both also run by NCL – but it says that this will not result in their closure as these facilities are more self-sufficient. However, the reduction in funding may result in a review of opening times and charges.

The council’s own arts and sports development services will also end, with the loss of three-and-a-half jobs.

First published at 11:05, Thursday, 11 October 2012
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk