Mills Observatory Summer Closure - More Budget Cuts Emerge

Over the weekend disturbing news emerged about the Mills Observatory. An article in The Scotsman - Summer Closure of Mills Observatory Ridiculed - revealed that Leisure & Culture Dundee, the arms length organisation that runs libraries, museums, swimming pools and sport halls, has apparently decided to cut back on the summer opening hours of the Observatory. This 'saving' was apparently one of the knock-on effects of the Council's budget last week.

I was surprised and disappointed that the summer closure of the Mills Observatory was being contemplated. This certainly had not been conveyed to us in the budget papers supplied. 

This brings into sharp relief the more limited scope of oversight by elected members when council services are devolved to arms length bodies such as Leisure and Culture Dundee.

The Mills Observatory on Balgay Hill is a unique part of the 'cultural offer' in Dundee. In fact we proudly boast as a city that it is the only full time public observatory in the United Kingdom.  

With the construction of the V&A just round the corner, it is a great pity that other parts of our cultural 'offer' in Dundee are being cut back. This seems counter productive.