Bridgwater Town Council is facing growing concerns over the financial position of the Bridgwater Arts Centre after figures revealed that the centre is on track to incur a substantial loss for the year ending March 2025. The loss, now projected at £148,262, is a significant increase from the original 2025 budgeted deficit of £86,124, raising questions about the centre’s sustainability.
Since being taken over from its previous charity-run model, the arts centre has seen a sharp decline in income across key revenue streams. Box office receipts, initially budgeted at £18,000, are now expected to fall to just £2,220 by the end of the year. Similarly, bar takings, budgeted at £12,000, have been downgraded to £6,324, and hall and room lettings, originally forecast at £20,000, are now projected at £10,661.
In addition to the drop in revenue, the centre’s staff costs have soared—from £28,939 in 2024 to a projected £79,846 in 2025—placing further strain on the budget.
During a recent council meeting, Conservative Councillor Diogo Rodrigues, who had previously expressed reservations about the council taking control of the arts centre, voiced his concerns over the centre’s current financial trajectory.
“The most recent set of accounts showed that the arts centre had a deficit of £36,076 when it was run as a charity. Now, under the council’s management, we’re looking at a projected loss of £148,262 for this year—a real contrast to the already concerning initial budget,” said Cllr Rodrigues. “This is a burden on the hard-working council taxpayers of Bridgwater, who will ultimately cover this growing financial gap.”
Cllr Rodrigues highlighted the significant shortfalls in income as a troubling sign of underperformance. “Box office receipts are expected to fall short by nearly £16,000, and bar takings are projected to drop by almost 50%. Even room lettings, which had more promising forecasts, are underperforming by £9,339. These figures show the arts centre is failing to hit even the conservative estimates that were set.”
Addressing the potential long-term impact on residents, Cllr Rodrigues asked the council leadership directly, “What is the business plan? What short-term measures are being put in place to close this ballooning budget gap? And is there a multi-year financial plan to ensure the arts centre doesn’t continue to drain resources from the community?”
Despite earlier warnings from the Conservative group that taking on the arts centre might be 'too much, too soon,' the Labour-run council pressed ahead.
