Back to index of Nerve 18 - Summer 2011

NERVE “cannot be classed as ‘not for profit’”
Culture Liverpool

Readers of Nerve will know that we struggle to raise money to keep our organisation going and to publish this magazine. So when we were accused of profit making by the Culture Company we were puzzled to say the least.

In September 2010 we completed five weeks of hugely successful events at the Nerve Centre in the old Rapid paint shop on Renshaw Street, only to be landed with a rates bill for £1,448 by Liverpool City Council. Culture Liverpool (who organised our lease of the building) had told us, halfway through, that we would be receiving this bill, but that it was just a paperwork exercise. All we had to do was fill in a form and they would arrange payment with the Rates Department; we would get 80% rates relief and the owners of the building would pay 20%.

We received the rates forms off Culture Liverpool on 8 November 2010. Then a court summons to pay £1,500 five days later. Although this was stopped, Culture Liverpool said they needed a years’ worth of audited accounts (only legally required if turnover is £3 million) and Memorandum & Articles (only required if Limited Company) for the rates team who:

“…need this information to progress the rates reduction – without this info Catalyst [Nerve] will remain liable for the whole rates amount for the period of occupancy.”

Culture Liverpool know that Nerve is an unincorporated collective. They were quite happy about this, and our finances, when they negotiated for us to take the building. Why were they now asking for such detailed information? Long story short, we approached the rates department directly and were told that all they needed was bank statements.

At this point, an explanation for those not up to date with how the council works. Culture Liverpool is controlled by the council, while the Rates Department is part of Liverpool Direct (LDL), an arms length organisation run by BT, a private company. Do they talk to each other? That’s a good question.

We were awarded 50% rates relief, so this meant that Culture Liverpool had to pay the other 30%. They then accused us of being profit making, which is rubbish. In fact (because we checked with the rates department) 50% is the standard relief - only charities get 80%. Surely Culture Liverpool should have known this?

Culture Liverpool are supposed to look after the interests of the arts community in this city. But our dealings with them have been very mixed. Their inconsistency, helpful on the one hand and bureaucratically controlling on the other, does not make it easy for groups like ours to have any confidence in them. The way the council has been cut up and hived off to private companies does not help either.

We would be interested to hear of other’s experiences of working with Culture Liverpool. Letters to the editor for the next edition of Nerve.

Printer friendly page

Sorry Comments Closed

Comments are closed on this article