The council’s allocation for cultural services – including libraries, entertainment venues, museums, galleries and recreation facilities – has already been cut by 69% since 2009-10, according to an analysis of government data by the Public Campaign for the Arts (PCA).

Jack Gamble, the director of the PCA, said further cuts would be a hammer blow to local arts services. He said: “We appreciate the financial pressures that councils are under, partly due to cuts from national government since 2010, but sacrificing our cultural services is not the answer.

“The arts are not a luxury – they provide vital benefits to our lives and communities. We have to find a way to keep funding them alongside other services – it shouldn’t be an either/or.”