Anger over plan to divert arts cash to reopen tip

Artists and creative workers are urging Bradford Council's leadership to rethink plans to scrap £400,000 of funding previously earmarked for cultural events.

The money had been approved for activities including festivals, heritage projects and live music, as well as support for local community cultural organisations.

But it is now set to be used to reopen Sugden End Household Waste Recycling Centre and restore bank-holiday opening at tips across the district.

The council has insisted the decision "does not affect current cultural investment commitments", but artists have branded the decision - taken just months after Bradford's year as UK City of Culture ended - is "short-sighted".

Sue Dyde, a director of the women's performance troupe Bradford Belles, has started a petition and organised a protest outside City Hall ahead of a meeting of Bradford Council's executive on Tuesday, where the plan could be signed off.

She said there had been "absolute shock" at the proposal.

Dyde said she was well aware of the arguments for reopening Sugden End as it is her local tip, and she acknowledged the inconvenience caused by its closure.

But she questioned the decision to scrap arts funding to pay for it.

"This is about the regeneration and a future for Bradford, not about just opening one tip," she said.

"The buoyancy in Bradford as a result of the City of Culture was palpable.

"It needs building on now, and it was agreed in March that that money should be used to build on it now.

"You know what you're losing and what you're gaining. It's perverse. It's a false economy."

She urged the council's Reform UK leadership to "put the brakes on" and "talk to the people who will understand and know the impacts this could have for the future".

Dave Gill, from Bradford community street band the Peace Artistes, said council and other public funding allowed grassroots organisations to develop, reach new people and bring visitors to the city.

"It's not simply money that's going," he said. "It's money that's investing in the possibility of further work, people employed, new industry, both tourist-based and arts-based."

Bradford 2025 volunteer Soumik Roy-Chowdhury also joined protesters, who chanted "don't dump the arts for a dump" and "don't cut culture, fund the future" on the steps of City Hall on Friday.

He said the district had experienced "18 months of the most glorious events", bringing visitors into Bradford and creating employment, particularly in the creative industries.

"I don't know if you can put a price on that – the feel-good factor," he said.

He described the cuts proposal as "short-termism", adding: "There must be more creative ways to balance the books than just targeting the arts."

Artist Morwenna Catt, who creates textiles, illustrations, puppets, banners and costumes, said public funding underpinned much of her work.

She also stressed campaigners were not arguing waste services were not important, but added: "There is another tip in Keighley and that's not creating revenue, whereas the arts is creating revenue."

The £400,000 at the centre of the dispute was approved by the council in March, when Labour was running the authority, despite some opposition from the Conservative group.

Half was earmarked to help local groups deliver events and festivals, while the other £200,000 was intended as support for organisations running events, including investment in local community cultural organisations.

The report going before the executive on Tuesday recommends funding the waste proposals by "deprioritising" and "not proceeding" with the £400,000 events funding approved by council in March 2026.

Bradford Council told the BBC the money is "not part of the council's existing culture budget and does not affect current cultural investment commitments or the development of future cultural funding programmes already being planned".

A spokesperson added: "Work continues on the council's next round of cultural investment, including our next round of regular investment for organisations and annual project grant programmes. We will be engaging with the cultural sector on these plans in the coming weeks as previously planned."

Bradford Labour group has backed calls for a rethink, saying: "We urge Reform not to turn its back on businesses and the creative industries."

The party's spokesperson added: "Putting on cultural events in our town centres and high streets would have increased footfall and therefore spending at a time when the district's shops need a boost."

However, the group also welcomed reopening of the Sugden End tip, arguing a funding boost from the Government to reduce pressures on councils had helped improve the council's overall finances.

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