MONMOUTHSHIRE council officers will ask its cabinet that £30,000 is put aside to finance an independent report exploring the future of some of the county’s prized cultural assets, including Caldicot Castle and its museums.

With an expected budget cut of 4.3 per cent to the authority’s budget set to bite next year, the council has said it is unable to spend all the money required on attractions including the Old Station, Tintern, Monmouth’s Shire Hall and Chepstow Museum.

And a report to be discussed by councillors on Wednesday states that at Caldicot Castle and in its grounds alone a conservative estimate of £3 million should be spent.

Although the council has been considering the possibility of placing the attractions in a trust – as has been done for leisure services in Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen – the report notes there has been concern from people if all cultural services are placed in a single trust model for fear it could compromise service and distinctiveness.

The report, by the enterprise department’s chief officer Kellie Beirne, states the money for the new report would be taken from the Invest to Redesign funds.

Last year the Monmouthshire Museums’ Development Trust was established and has advised on fundraising, adding support and security new investment into the sites.

And although the council is positive about its impact, it states museums and other assets might only be properly maximised if the service is liberated, able to find its own future away from the limitations, constraints and reductions imposed by continued council ownership.

Last week, the Argus reported that the council was still to make a decision on Caldicot Castle and the possibility that it be run by a trust.

The authority spent £22,000 on a refurbishment to the castle’s cafe area and upgraded a bar and retail space.