By Don Mort, local democracy reporter, & John Baron
A senior councillor has apologised to Abbey House Museum staff who found out about potential job losses via social media.
Cash-strapped Leeds City Council has launched a public consultation into proposals to close the museum in a bid to save £160,000 a year.
At yesterday’s full council meeting at Leeds Civic Hall, Councillor Dan Cohen (Cons, Alwoodley) asked why museum staff found out about the potential closure and job losses on Facebook and not from an official announcement.
Salma Arif, executive member for culture, said she was disappointed some staff found out that way.
Coun Arif (Lab, Gipton and Harehills) said: “I am extremely sorry to those staff members who only found out belatedly about the potential closure. Staff should not have been put in this position.
“This proposal has not been taken lightly. Can I also stress that no final decision has been made.”
Job losses, a council tax rise and building closures are also being considered by the council is it seeks to set a balanced budget.
Not surprising. The fewer the people who know about the plans for closure, the fewer who can object in a timely manner.
Why when all these new flats and the expansion of Leeds with no new hospitals doctors surgeries and infrastructure is Leeds city council strapped for cash where is all the revenue going because it certainly not going back in to improvements for local residents
Many of the new flats are student accommodation and they don’t pay Council Tax. The Tories slashed local government funding during their fourteen years in office so the money hasn’t been going anywhere – it simply hasn’t been coming in to begin with.