MOST residents of the city will recognise that culturally Newport is a shadow of its former self, say the Wales Green party, in an attack on Newport City Council which accuses the local authority of choosing consumerism over culture.
In the 1980s and 1990s Newport was culturally vibrant with a hugely successful and throbbing nightlife, a global reputation for music, and the likes of Sir Elton John and David Bowie were performing at the Newport Centre, the party points out.
David Mclean, Green parliamentary candidate for Newport East said: “The museum used to attract major touring exhibitions. There was a time when queues formed across John Frost Square for entry to an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Gerald. As you walked around the town you got the feeling of a town built on a rich heritage played out on grand murals that most of Newport’s residents took for granted. That was just the way it was. It’s hard to think of Newport then and Newport now without being struck by the scale of the contrast.
“History, heritage and culture doesn’t really fit with multinational retail. The two tend to live in entirely different unconnected worlds. But if and when history, heritage and culture become an obstacle or an inconvenience, Newport City Council has no qualms in brushing it aside. Chartism is not as important as Next and Nandos to this council."
Pippa Bartolotti, the Wales Green Party leader and Parliamentary Candidate for Newport West added: “Greens are horrified that Newport council are not only propping up austerity, but propping up the demolition of our culture, be it the Chartist Mural, or our museum and library. I remember when Newport was a thriving town throbbing with life and energy.
“We now have a battle on our hands: learning versus consumerism. How pitiable it is that the cultural desert of consumerism is the top thing on the minds of Newport council.”
Newport City Council is proposing to close Newport Museum and Art Gallery, with the collection moved out of the building and exhibited at temporary events with 13 full time jobs being lost, as part of cost-cutting measures.
More than 100 budget savings ideas are set to go before cabinet next week as part of the council’s 2015/16 budget, which is seeking to save another £10 million.
A total of £6,048,000 of new savings have been identified since the council received its provisional settlement from the Welsh Government, reducing its grant by 2.6 per cent to £210 million.
The proposals will be open for public consultation from December 9.
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