Clarification on museums 'axe'
Carmarthenshire County Council’s Executive Board spoke at this morning’s meeting to clarify the council’s position on the implied proposals to close two county museums.
Their comments come at a time when many members of the public have been led to believe that Abergwili and Parc Howard museums have been earmarked for closure without consultation.
Council Leader, Cllr Meryl Gravell, said that the council would have to closely consider the provision of all its services in order to make efficiency savings, and reiterated that the museums were one of many options to be considered – not all of which will actually be cut.
A formal discussion will be held at an Executive Board on January 23, before going to Full Council.
Cllr Gravell said that the whole council, as well as staff and members of the public, had a part to play in identifying savings.
“We have asked that all scrutiny committees have a look at the efficiency savings that we have to find,” she said. “As an Executive Board we have also asked officers to bring proposals for us to look at. None of them a palatable – some of them were about respite care, some were about museums. I am sure that nobody here wants to close any of these – but if we are not going to close them, then we need to find the money elsewhere.”
She also reiterated that the list put together by officers were not actual proposals for cuts, merely suggestions of services where savings could potentially be made.
“All 74 members of this council vote on the budget, and all of them have a say in what we look at and what we close,” she added. “There’s a lot of work to be done in the next few weeks.”
Their comments come at a time when many members of the public have been led to believe that Abergwili and Parc Howard museums have been earmarked for closure without consultation.
Council Leader, Cllr Meryl Gravell, said that the council would have to closely consider the provision of all its services in order to make efficiency savings, and reiterated that the museums were one of many options to be considered – not all of which will actually be cut.
A formal discussion will be held at an Executive Board on January 23, before going to Full Council.
Cllr Gravell said that the whole council, as well as staff and members of the public, had a part to play in identifying savings.
“We have asked that all scrutiny committees have a look at the efficiency savings that we have to find,” she said. “As an Executive Board we have also asked officers to bring proposals for us to look at. None of them a palatable – some of them were about respite care, some were about museums. I am sure that nobody here wants to close any of these – but if we are not going to close them, then we need to find the money elsewhere.”
She also reiterated that the list put together by officers were not actual proposals for cuts, merely suggestions of services where savings could potentially be made.
“All 74 members of this council vote on the budget, and all of them have a say in what we look at and what we close,” she added. “There’s a lot of work to be done in the next few weeks.”
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