LEADING arts organisations in the borough are getting together in a renewed attempt to persuade the council that a cultural mix in the town is vital to its future prosperity.

The study of the benefits is being led by the Warehouse Theatre, Fairfield and Croydon's resident orchestra the London Mozart Players (LMP).

Simon Funnell, managing director of the LMP, said at the heart of the report will be the accepted assertion that for every £1 spent on arts provision, the economy of an area gets a £2 return.

He said: "The idea is for us to provide an argument to the council which shows that by spending a relatively small extra amount to support the arts, the money will come back to Croydon many times over."

The idea for the report arises out of a meeting between the arts groups and members of the council's community services and safety sub-committee.

The sub-committee is recommending the council looks at any future business plan for investment produced by the arts' providers.

While the council continues to give some funding to the three main organisations, budget cuts for this year led to it removing support for the arts at the Clocktower in Katharine Street, closing the David Lean cinema and abandoning the Croydon Summer Festival and Mela.

Trevor Morgan, chair of the Warehouse Theatre board, said he believed the council needed to look at increasing investment in the arts as a way of attracting new firms and helping existing businesses thrive.

He said: "If you have a good cultural offer people will not just attend events, they will also visit restaurants and shops.

"We need more joined up thinking to look at what we can do to bring investment into the town."

And, Mr Morgan added: "Culture is a fundamental bedrock to inward investment."

The scrutiny sub-committee is also asking the council to support smaller arts groups by simplifying the way they can apply for grants and make advertising space on council sites available for promotion of their events.