Jobs at risk and arts venues to suffer due to budget cuts

This comes as Sheffield Council is making Government-imposed spending cuts of £57m in 2012/13 and up to £170m by 2015/16.

A spokesman for the authority said that the city’s sporting and cultural “offer” would be “protected as much as possible.”

They added that, in the current financial year, the council will spend around £20m on sports, culture and events.

There are no plans to close any venues. However, the planned cuts of £900,000 involve reducing by 10 per cent the council’s grant of £58,000 to Sheffield Theatres and £3,000 to the Site Gallery.

Small grants totalling £19,000 to four of the city’s art organisations – Music in the Round, Forced Entertainment, Danceworks and DECAT – are set to be cut altogether. Squad fees for swimming, water polo and diving will be increased by 20 per cent, while up to £195,000 will be saved through merging posts and making savings on “managerial and senior posts. including administrative support.”

Coun Helen Mirfin-Boukouris said: “In line with other funding reductions, the council is looking to reduce its support to some trusts and activities by 10 per cent, and work with partners to find efficiency savings that will help the city maintain its position as an attractive destination for a range of events that keep us on the map and support local services in Sheffield.”

A public meeting will run at Sheffield Town Hall from 2pm to 4.30pm next Monday, January 30.