Future doubt for 'renowned' plant collection
17 December 2010
The future of the Ventnor Botanic Garden on the Isle of Wight is hanging in the balance as the local council moves towards withdrawing all funding as part of budget cuts.
A meeting of the Isle of Wight County Council's cabinet voted unanimously to find other ways of running the garden, home to one of the largest collections of southern hemisphere plants in the UK.
Currently the Botanic Garden is funded entirely by the council, which provides £500,000 a year for running costs although it receives a substantial proportion back through revenues. The gardens are one of several tourist attractions targeted as part of £32 million savings to be made over the next four years.
As a Grade II registered garden, Ventnor Botanic Garden must remain a public space, but there are fears that the cuts may mean specialist staff will have to go, putting the survival of the plant collection under threat.
An online campaign to save the garden has attracted more than 4,000 supporters and is calling for the council to reduce senior management posts instead to save the money.
It says cutting funding for the garden will 'reduce the service, impact the quality of the botanic collections and reduce staff levels to the detriment of the skill and knowledge of the workforce who curate, develop and maintain an internationally renowned plant collection.'
A statement issued by the council said its financial commitment to the garden was 'not sustainable' in the current economic climate, and said councillors are exploring the possibility of transferring the running of the garden to a community-based organisation. It added, however, that the Isle of Wight Council wishes the garden to continue as the 'internationally renowned facility that it has become'.
A full council meeting to discuss the plans is due to take place in February.