Budget cuts: 'Public gems like the King's Theatre must be preserved'

EVER since it became clear that the city council had a massive £92 million hole in its finances it has been equally clear that at some point tough decisions on spending priorities would have to be taken.

Having already made a series of frontline budget cuts which have affected everything from education to care of the elderly and the vulnerable, next month councillors will be asked to agree a further package of 11m of savings, on the recommendation of officials. But it will not stop there.

A further 14m in cuts have still to be found over the coming year and councillors will have no choice other than to axe more projects, even those they themselves have identified as political priorities. Already that process is under way, and one of the latest casualties looks like being the crumbling King's Theatre.

As we reveal today, council officials are recommending the withdrawal of more than 6m that had been pledged to the trust that runs the theatre to pay for a long overdue revamp. Instead, only 2m would be provided for essential repairs. A further 2m will be spent refurbishing the Assembly Rooms and the remainder saved by the council.

No-one would argue that pain must be spread in these difficult economic times, and the arts may seem a priority. But these cuts should spark a wider debate about how properties owed by the council too easily become a victim of budgetary constraints.

The revamp of the Usher Hall has all-but been delivered, but arguably the casualties of that have been the King's, Leith Theatre and even the Ross Bandstand – all of which require urgent attention.

Last year the Evening News revealed more than 200m was needed to bring Edinburgh's arts and cultural venues up to a world-class standard. There is no sign of such spending on the horizon – a situation not helped by the deterioration in public sector finances.

While the carrying out of essential work is to be welcomed, public gems like the King's must be preserved for future generations. And if the council cannot do it then, as Brian Monteith suggests on the page opposite, such buildings may be better out of public ownership.

Weighty issue

IT is not surprising, considering our apparent love of fast food and alcohol, and our lack of exercise, that deaths from obesity are on the increase.

It is ironic that our society is increasingly body-conscious, yet many of the same people who worship at the altar of perfectly-chiselled celebrity fail to treat their own bodies with respect.

There is no easy answer, other than to keep hammering home the healthy messages – especially in schools, where they can make a real difference.