A FLOOD of new pubs in Bury has meant a financial washout for the town's Met arts centre.

A turbulent year which saw two of its bosses quit has left the operation in the red once more.

Met chiefs have promised radical and swift action to turn the tide, including a complete relaunch of the cafe bar which has taken a hammering at the pumps.

They will also book cheaper acts for the spring season in an effort to turn back the tide.

Mr Ged Kelly, the new director of Bury Metropolitan Arts Association, said it was the cafe bar's losses which had dragged down the artistic side of the operation.

"There is no question that 1998/99 has been a difficult year for the Met in terms of financial performance and organisational stability," he told the annual meeting of BMAA.

The cafe bar made a loss of £6,635 compared with a profit of £2,799 for 1997/98.

"The financial decline in the cafe bar has been evident for a number of years," said Mr Kelly. "The competition has increased steadily, from the cheap and cheerful to the trendy wine bars and theme restaurants, each one taking its slice from a limited cake. There is little evidence of previous efforts to turn back the tide and action is now well overdue.

"That the cafe bar is closed in the evenings, particularly at weekends when there is a sizeable potential market in the town centre, defies commercial logic."

The director wants to refurbish the bar and relaunch it as a third performance space within the building. This may mean putting on regular comedy or music nights, but almost certainly evening opening.

Figures for BMAA itself show a trading loss of £4,999, although this includes bad debt provision for the cafe bar of more than £9,000. Nevertheless, turnover has declined by £57,638 and expenditure is down by £44,580. Mr Kelly says that severe cash flow problems are slowly being brought under control through continued savings on staffing costs.

The situation had also been made worse by spending more than usual on the current programme of events. He says that "cautious programming" for the spring season will be necessary.

The arts centre now has a three-year business plan following a comprehensive appraisal by the North West Arts Board. While the Met has built up a reputation for folk and world music, it will now widen its bookings to focus on dance, comedy, literature, jazz and blues.

Bosses are applying for a substantial grant to provide new raked seating in the main theatre, upgrade equipment and refurbish public spaces.

New new windows and signs might be put in, and the outside of the Market Street building may include some public art.

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