BOSSES at York Theatre Royal have warned they will have to reduce productions if proposed cuts to their budget go ahead.

The theatre has enjoyed a bumper year, with ticket sales beating expectations; the debt being substantially reduced; and many productions gaining national acclaim.

Senior managers say the St Leonard's Place theatre contributes £11.3 million to York's evening economy.

But City of York Council is considering a five per cent reduction in its funding for the theatre, a move which could hit productions hard.

In a report to councillors, chief executive Daniel Bates wrote: "We want to ensure that York Theatre Royal continues to grow and develop, and a cut in council investment at this stage of our cultural life would be detrimental to the work we deliver for the city, our audience and our community."

He said that if additional funding could not be found, activity in the main house and studio would have to be reduced.

The council's leisure and culture advisory panel will next week receive a routine update on the performance of the theatre. A three-year service level agreement between the theatre and the council runs out in March, and negotiations are under way for the 2008 to 2011 settlement.

In a separate report to councillors, Mr Bates and Gill Cooper, the council's head of arts and culture, said the theatre was making progress towards becoming less dependent on the pantomime; and the theatre's productions had helped create one of the broadest social mixes of any audience in the country.

Discounts for people under 26 have helped boost sales in that age group, with an increase of 57 per cent - or 11,000 - since 2003.

In the current financial year, up to September, the theatre had total attendances of 62,251 - 23 per cent above target.

In terms of performances, Mr Bates said the past year had been a very good one. He wrote: "From acclaimed new plays to work for young audiences, the Theatre has gained a reputation on a national and regional scale for being one of the best repertory producing theatres in the region."

He said the past two pantomimes, Cinderella and Sinbad The Sailor, had both been successful while Steptoe And Son had enabled the theatre to realise a long-term ambition of a West End transfer at the Comedy Theatre.


Pool and library charges may go up

LIBRARY users and swimmers face increased charges under the latest budget proposals from City of York Council.

The authority's leisure and culture panel will meet next Tuesday to discuss planned savings of £102,000 for 2008/09.

As reported in The Press yesterday, plans to close Edmund Wilson crèche have been replaced by a plan to keep it open but with reduced hours.

But other cost-cutting measures remain in place, including a "restructure" of the park- keeper service, which it is hoped could save £30,000. The number of staff could be reduced, and their responsibilities reviewed.

It is also intended to increase fees and charges in a number of areas, including many areas of the library and archives service.

The cost of ordering an out-of-print book from the library would increase substantially, with some hardbacks going up by £6 each. Colour printing could increase from 30p to 50p a copy; overdue book fines will increase from 12p a day to 15p a day. Other charges, such as photocopying or reproducing documents, are also set to rise.

The cost of council swimming lessons is recommended to increase by up to 7.8 per cent, with 40-minute sessions going up from £5.10 to £5.50 each. The cost of aquafit and aquanatal sessions may increase by up to 9.76 per cent. Most other swimming charges are earmarked for increases of about five per cent.

Elsewhere, lawn bowls is set to increase from £2 an hour to £2.10 an hour; tennis from £5 an hour to £5.25 an hour. Allotment rents are also likely to increase by about five per cent.

Potential additional cuts, to help plug a £1 million shortfall in the council plans, include cutting the City of Festivals programme; closing swimming pools on bank holidays; closing the city archives and central library one day a week; and closing a branch library altogether.

Coun Christian Vassie, the council's executive member for leisure and culture, said: "York receives roughly £300 less per head than other councils to provide the same services. As a new member of the executive I am working with officers to create a new forward plan for leisure and culture to offset the seemingly endless rounds of cuts imposed on us from outside."