A RADICAL cost-cutting plan designed to shake up the council's cultural services has angered town hall staff who fear their jobs are on the line.

The controversial review of tourism, museums, leisure and the arts proposes the creation of one massivecultural services department.

The big changes include contracting out council festivals and events, closing the Cottage Museum, moving Lancaster Tourist Information Centre to the City Museum and possibly closing the City Museum altogether and moving it into Lancaster Town Hall.

The restructuring plan is designed to save £300,000 but UNISON rep, Stephen Gray, said staff are "sick with worry."

"Staff are gobsmacked after working really hard to make these services a success," said Mr Gray.

"They've already streamlined the departments by not replacing people who have left. There's nothing left to cut. These proposals will see 18 posts deleted so how can the high level of service be maintained. These staff are experts who aren't afraid to get involved at a grassroots level and will be sorely missed."

Lancaster MP Hilton Dawson has called an emergency meeting at Lancaster Town Hall next week (January 30) to rally support against the plans and claims they will rip the "cultural heart" out of the city.

"These services are real gems and give the city its high quality of life as well as attracting visitors to the area," he said.

"We can't countenance the wholesale destruction of these valuable services and I hope the city council will listen carefully to how strongly local people feel about this."

The author of the review, newly-appointed corporate director, John Donnellon, issued a statement to allay fears of job losses and added: "It must be stressed that this is a proposal for consideration in the budget process and no more than that at this stage and nothing has been decided.

"The proposals do not include any proposals for compulsory redundancy. In addition none of the council's core museums will close. Neither will the Tourist Information Centre be sold off under the proposals but moved to a more central location."