News / Politics
Chancellor’s ‘slap in the face’ for Bristol
The chancellor’s £78million gift to Manchester to build a new theatre is a “slap in the face” for Bristol, a cabinet member has said.
Councillor Simon Cook has demanded ministers give Bristol’s Colston Hall similar support to help the venue complete its ambitious multi-million pound redevelopment plans.
The assistant mayor has called on the city’s MPs to protest the award made by George Osborne earlier this month and demand the government stumps up £35m immediately for the venue.
“Our concert hall is literally falling to bits and needs £45m to bring it to a standard that the Birmingham Symphony Hall and the Bridgewater Hall Manchester currently enjoy,” the Clifton East councillor said.
“The Music Trust’s task in raising the full sum will be extremely difficult without further public funding, yet the Chancellor is handing Manchester £78m on a plate.
“We are the third economically most successful city in the UK after London and Edinburgh but we are ignored again and again in bids for cultural infrastructure. It makes you wonder what you have to do to get facilities on a par with London and the northern cities, all of which have had lottery money handed out by successive governments.
“When is the Government going to start rewarding success and put funding where it is most deserved and most likely to generate economically for the country? I call on all of Bristol’s MPs to protest at this award and ask the Government to find a total of £35m for the Colston Hall immediately. If they can find it for Manchester they can find it for Bristol.”
Manchester’s £78m theatre and arts venue will be built on the former site of Granada’s TV studios, Osborne promised in his Autumn Statement speech.
The venue is to be called The Factory, in homage to the city’s legendary Factory Records label.
It will hold up to 5,000 people and provide a permanent home for the Manchester International Festival. The venue is due to open by 2019.
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