Brewery Arts revamp in cash crisis (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Brewery Arts revamp in cash crisis

A FUNDING crisis has left the multi-million pound redevelopment of Cirencester's Brewery Arts in dire straits.

Building work had been expected to start at the centre early this year at a cost of £2.5million.

But trustees of Brewery Arts have announced they are being forced to rethink the project after costs escalated by nearly £200,000.

This is on top of the original £150,000 shortfall that still needs to be raised.

All the major sources of funding for the redevelopment are being explored to try and get things back on track, but so far to no avail.

Nevertheless, the team behind the renovation say the primary aims of the project can still be realised.

Brewery Arts spokesman Annie Gould said: "This funding gap is big and we need to rethink the project.

"But we're in discussions with the Arts Council and architects to see how we can best satisfy the aims of the project with the amount of money available to us."

Only in July last year Brewery Arts was celebrating after securing a £1.5million lottery grant from the Arts Council.

Cotswold District Council had already pledged £500,000 towards the scheme and it seemed likely building work would begin by 2006.

The plans for the renowned arts and crafts centre include new lifts and disabled access and a new exhibition area and performance space for artists.

Also, the refurbished arts shop will be at street level to encourage visitors to come off the street, and the popular caf will be enlarged.

However, financial problems arose towards the end of last year when negotiations with tenders began.

Revised plans did not cut costs enough, while fees and VAT bills soon mounted.

Trustees chairman Sam Wilkinson said: "The reality is that the funding gap after the tenders came back proved to be too difficult to bridge.

"We decided to work with our major financial stakeholders and the design team to see how we can best satisfy the aims of the project with the amount of money currently available to us.

"We have worked with our community to raise an amazing current total of over £2.3million - a staggering amount for a rurally-based arts organisation - and we are still working towards a much-improved centre for the whole of the community. We would like to thank everyone for their support."