Councils have cut spending on libraries and culture by almost £500m since 2010, according to new analysis

Council spending on libraries, culture, heritage and tourism has fallen by almost half a billion pounds since the start of austerity, according to new analysis.

New analysis from the County Council Network (CCN) shows that in 2010-11, when austerity began, councils in England budgeted to spend around £1.6 million on library services, culture, heritage and tourism. I understand. The latest accounts for 2023-2024 show that spending has fallen by £470m over the past 14 years, with local authorities budgeting to spend just over £1.1bn on these cultural services.

The council said it recognized the economic and social value of these cultural services, but that cuts to support were “inevitable”. The average senior council spends two-thirds of its budget on social care services, and this trend is higher in county local authorities. Over the past decade, the lack of resources for cultural services has focused on this growing demand for care services.

Despite these significant cuts, parliament remains the biggest funder of arts and culture in the UK, with a budget of £1.1bn for 2023/24.Discovery lies in new things county spotlight The report found that despite these funding challenges, CCN member councils continue to maintain, enhance and transform library and cultural services.

Download the report here.

This report highlights this great work through 16 case studies. The four themes are: Investing in cutting-edge cultural attractions. creative industry. And it puts county tourism on the map.

However, the report also highlights that demand for care services shows no signs of slowing, with CCN member councils forecasting they will be almost £650 million over budget in 2023/24. As a result, some local authorities are proposing cuts to arts support and library funding again in their 2024/25 budgets, with councils required to approve these plans by the end of March. .

Supported by the CCN and the county all-party group, the government announced last week that it would provide an extra £500 million for council care services in 2024/25. The network said the increased funding could reduce the scale of cuts to library and cultural services in some rural areas.

The figures were published today in a new report by the CCN, which shows how councils are ensuring the widespread delivery of these vital cultural services despite having to make significant savings since 2010. It shows that you are continuing to do so. The data shows that:

• Parliament in England has increased its spending on libraries, cultural heritage (including museums, theaters and arts support) and tourism by 400 million yen since 2010, based on budget spending for 2023/24 compared to 2010/11. A reduction of 72 million pounds. The county region’s 37 councils cut spending by £184.6m (-30%) over the period, with London councils and North and West Midlands cities seeing the biggest reductions. and a parliament covering major cities. (32%).
• Library services are the biggest area of ​​cultural spending, and parliaments in England have cut spending on this service by a quarter, saving a total of £232.5 million since 2010. Although the county region council has overseen the biggest cuts (£90m since 2010), he has the second lowest reduction rate (25%).
• Support for local arts and funding for museums, galleries and theaters has been cut by £166.8m across England since 2010, a 30% cut. In this area of ​​spending, the county’s 37 councils reduced their spending by £70m, a 34% reduction, the highest of all local authorities.
• All councils across the country have significantly reduced the amount of money they have spent on tourism since 2010 due to financial pressures. In 2010, local authorities budgeted £115.2m for tourism, but by 2023 this has fallen by almost two-thirds, or 63%, to £42.6m.

of county spotlight The report highlights how some of this funding is being used. How the city council has transformed its library from a simple ‘book lending’ service to a community hub, expanding to include mental health support for infant and toddler groups and offering internet lessons for elderly residents. Introducing. In addition to this, it also highlights how the council has undertaken major restoration projects for local museums and galleries and invested in the creative industries.

With a general election likely to be held in 2024, the CCN says the next government needs to come up with multi-year financial statements for local governments as soon as possible. As part of this, there needs to be a “clear discussion” about what libraries and high-value cultural services local authorities can provide with the funding they are given. Currently, the majority of Congressional funding is spent on social services for children and adults. Care.

The report also recommends that the current government’s Cultural Development Fund should be continued under the next government, but reformed so that there is no competitive bidding process and the funds are distributed equitably to all corners of the country. are doing.

Cllr Sam Corcoran, Deputy Chair of the County Council Network, said:

“The UK Parliament is the largest funder of arts and culture and we recognize the value of investment in libraries, arts and cultural heritage, both for communities and the economy. Funding since the start of austerity In the face of procurement pressures, councils think outside the box and transforming library services into inclusive community hubs is a significant achievement.

“But this is only part of the story, and as this new analysis shows, as funding has been prioritized for statutory and critical care services since 2010, councils have increased funding for libraries, culture and tourism. We have found it very difficult to avoid making significant cuts to spending. We know how much our residents value cultural services, but cuts to support for our residents are not inevitable. is the reality.

“Councils are under perhaps the most significant financial pressures in recent memory, and scarce funding needs to be prioritized towards tackling overspending in care services, but the recently announced council The announcement of additional funding could prevent the most severe cuts.

“Still, health care costs are unlikely to be alleviated, so in the long term, Congress needs to have a clear conversation with the next government about how much library and cultural services can be funded with the funding lines it receives.” there is.”

Local government library, heritage, culture and tourism budget expenditure – 2010-2024