Cearphilly proposes mothballing theatre and museum

Caerphilly County Borough Council has launched a public consultation over its proposals to withdraw all funding to performing arts centre Blackwood Miners' Institute and living history museum Llancaiach Fawr Manor.

The plans is part of the council's attempt to find savings of around £45m over the next two financial years, in addition to £20m of long-term savings that have already been identified.

“We can’t continue to run our services the way we always have," said Council Leader Sean Morgan. We need to explore all options and consider ways of doing things differently.”

“I want to be honest with the community, because it is clear that the scale of savings means we need to make some very difficult decisions over the coming months.”

The council is proposing to mothball Llancaiach Fawr at the end of December 2024 to allow it to save on its annual subsidy of £485,000 for 2025/26 while trying to establish alternative providers for the venue, which employs 20 staff.

Blackwood Miners' Institute, which employs nine people,  would lose all its £347,000 council subsidy from the end of December 2024, with the authority pledging to explore different ways of running the facility in the future. 

The consultation runs from 30 July 2024 to 10 September 2024.