New £600,000 boost for The Public

The Public arts centre will get a further £600,000 of Arts Council cash over the next three years, it can be revealed today.

Earlier this week the £72 million West Bromwich venue was told its bid for more money had failed as the national organisation slashed funding in a drive to save £450m over four years.

However, Sandwell's council leader, Councillor Darren Cooper today said it is poised to hand out a separate lottery grant.

The Arts Council said earlier this week that it planned to set side lottery cash for The Public, although it refused to confirm the amount today.

Councillor Cooper, said: "My understanding is that we are getting £600,000 for three years as a grant to help with the costs.

"It was Sandwell Council that rescued this project for them and we took all the flak.

"If I am honest we would have looked to have spent some of that money on other things, but we are where we are and we have invested in it and hopefully it will be a success.

"They have given us some extra money which will further add to the resources that the council has put in which should continue to make it a viable project.

"I think that this will be the last amount of money that we do get off them and I think they think it is still a worthwhile project and I think they felt they needed to put some money in to help keep it moving in the right direction.

"At least we have got some money out of them instead of the burden falling on Sandwell people."

The Public costs £2.2m a year to run. Sandwell Council stepped in to save the controversial venue when other sources of funding dried up. The Arts Council has spent more than £32m of public money on the centre in recent years.

A spokesman for the Arts Council said: "Sandwell Arts Trust's application to the National Portfolio was unsuccessful.

"However, the Arts Council was impressed by the progress that has been made and would like to look at alternative sources of funding so Sandwell Arts Trust's good work can continue in an area where the Arts Council would like to improve high quality arts provision. No further funding has been agreed."