Jobs axe falls as The Public to shut

Sandwell Council chiefs have announced that the £72 million arts centre in West Bromwich is too expensive to run.

The authority is now set to formally end its agreement with Sandwell Arts Trust, which currently runs the venue in West Bromwich, at a meeting on Wednesday. This will mean Sandwell Arts Trust will hand the building back to the council on November 30 when the current activities at the New Street building cease.

Managing director Linda Saunders said dozens of jobs would be lost when the centre closes.

"Sixty people on a range of contracts will go," she said. "Everyone from my job, to front of house, cafe assistants and cleaners – everybody will be gone.

"Everything that is currently operating has to leave the building by November 30 so the 30 businesses and roughly 60 staff and 120 apprentices won't be out of work, but they will have to relocate. They are really upset."

Mrs Saunders said events and conferences scheduled to take place before November 30 would be honoured. And she also revealed the venue had had to turn away £50,000 worth of business since it was announced that it faced an uncertain future earlier this year.

The Public has been in limbo since the council announced it was in talks with Sandwell College to take it over, with a view to transforming it into a sixth form for 500 A-level students.

Sandwell Council leader Councillor Darren Cooper said the decision had not been easy, but the council could not continue to subsidise the building by £30,000 a week – almost £1.6m a year.

He said: "We have to find a viable, long-term future for The Public which is not dependent on council taxpayers' cash every year."

For more reaction to The Public's closure, see your Weekend Express & Star