STAFF at a council and an arts centre are in dispute over funding.

The Ropetackle in Little High Street, Shoreham, will have to close if £50,000 is not raised by the public come mid-September.

Adur District Council told The Argus it had supported the popular arts centre with £268,000 over the last ten years.

But Ropetackle chairman Martin Allen said the figure was misleading.

He said: “The money given by the council since we opened has covered a range of things, but what we are asking for is core funding, money that will help us pay for better management and actual running of the venue. We haven’t had any council core funding for the last four years.”

Mr Allen said the £268,000 included the cost of repairs of the building and funds donated to support Adur Festival which, for a number of years, staff and volunteers at the Ropetackle were managing.

“The festival is quite separate from our core funding,” he continued.

“It’s got nothing to do with our day-to-day running of the Ropetackle, so it’s misleading to say that money is supporting us.”

Mr Allen felt concerned the cost of building repairs were also included in this figure.

He said: “When the Ropetackle started, the building, which was going to be used for a housing development, had a few issues.

“The council recognised that it would take care of the maintenance problems.”

The appeal to keep the venue open, called Ropetackle 2020, has already received about £24,000.

But leader of the council Councillor Neil Parkin said: “It’s pretty disappointing the Ropetackle leadership is wasting time dancing on the head of a pin about funding when they should be working around the clock to produce a robust management plan to take the venue into a bright future.

“I stand by the figure stated of £268,000 over the last ten years and should further add that Ropetackle has been allocated another £20,000 of funding for this year from this council on proof of a sound financial management plan.

“We are still waiting.

“Lest anyone be in doubt this council has been and will always be supportive of arts and culture in our district.“Ropetackle was born because of this commitment when we insisted an arts centre be the price of the overall development there and we have continued to provide backing whether that be grants or maintenance costs.”