DUNFERMLINE’s Carnegie Hall is not in danger of being run down amid budget cuts to Fife Cultural Trust.

Visitors to the East Port theatre raised concerns about the box office being closed, the lack of staff and the closure of theatre restaurant Tiffany’s during the day.

And with the trust having to deliver almost £1.5million in budget savings between 2013 and 2015, there were fears the Carnegie Hall would be impacted by cuts.

However, it insisted there was no cause for concern, confirming that staffing levels and box office opening hours were as normal. The only recent change was the removal of daytime catering at Tiffany’s in September last year due to the losses being “unsustainable”.

The trust’s five-year strategic plan to 2019 aims to enhance and promote Fife’s cultural profile but it must also delivering savings for Fife Council.

More than 80 management posts have already been ‘restructured’, including the makeup of the executive team, with more changes as part of a drive to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Over £900,000 has already been saved through voluntary redundancies and efficiencies, but a further £819,000 must be cut by 2018, with discussions ongoing between the trust and the council about how these savings will be delivered and what it will mean for the trust and its theatres.

Despite the strain on the budget, the trust insisted it would not make any difference to what’s on offer at Carnegie Hall and the popular venue is in no danger of closing.

It said the theatre is continuing to offer community classes as well as library services, as it is hosting the PCs while the new Dunfermline Museum and Art Gallery is being built.

Laurie Piper, head of external relations and customer services for the trust, confirmed that the Carnegie Hall still has a big programme coming up for 2015.

“We have just brought the curtain down on another very successful Christmas show and a sold-out performance by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra,” he said.

“We are now looking forward to the year ahead which will see Carnegie Hall embedded as the base for the Dunfermline area Fife Youth Arts Hub, continue to provide access to the EZ Fife PC network and present a wide range of shows for people of all ages, including visits from internationally renowned musicians Courtney Pine and Julian Lloyd Webber.” While acknowledging that further savings must be delivered, Heather Smith, chief executive, said in the annual report, “The board and the executive team are determined to do so in a way which also allows us to grow and develop the organisation, secures a long term and sustainable future for the services we deliver and ensures we also remain creatively ambitious.

“There is no doubt that there are challenging times ahead both in terms of continuing to lead the trust through further change, and also in responding to increasing financial pressures.

“I am confident, however, that with the continued commitment, loyalty, expertise, creativity and customer focus of our staff, our board and the range and quality of partners with whom we work, we will be able to continue to build on our early achievements.”