Suffolk County Council has announced plans to fund the arts and culture industries in the county after plans to scrap funding were met with heavy criticism. 

Earlier this month, the council said it would be cutting all investment in arts and culture from April next year, scrapping £500,000 of funding to the arts and museums sector. 

However, Suffolk County Council confirmed on Friday that due to the government announcement of £600million of funding for local councils, it now intends to propose a new £500,000 project fund to which all Suffolk’s arts and heritage organisations can apply.

Bobby Bennett, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for equality and communities, said: "We have been adamant since starting our budget proposals that we would seek opportunities to support the arts and heritage sector.

"The recent government announcement has presented us with such an opportunity."

The decision to cut funding was described as "really bad news" by chair of Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal's Board of Trustees Roger Quince. 

A spokesman for Suffolk County Council said: "This does not alter the difficult financial decisions the council is having to make so that it can prioritise spending on services like SEND, home to school transport and children in care.

"An extra £74 million is still needed over the next two years to protect the county’s most vulnerable adults and children.

"Proposals to end the core funding of £528,000 of nine arts and heritage organisations after the 2024/25 financial year, are still in place.

"This funding will be replaced with the new £500,000 project funding pot, open to all arts and heritage organisations, from April 2025."

Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Environment, said: “The announcement from government just a couple of days ago is absolutely welcome, and is a credit to our MPs, our own council, and councils across the country for the lobbying which has paid off.

"We estimate that Suffolk will see around £7.2 million as a result of this extra investment."