MERGING Bournemouth’s arts, library and museum services with Poole’s; cutting back on cemetery maintenance; and raising fees for cremations and weddings.

All have been ranked as among the least unacceptable of a range of cost-cutting measures put before members of Bournemouth council’s adult and community overview and scrutiny panel.

The council needs to make a total of £8 million of savings in the next two financial years, and is facing some tough decisions.

Poole and Bournemouth are already working on merging adult learning services, and the panel heard that a further merger in arts, library and museum services could save £250,000 by cutting management and back office staff.

The panel was reluctant to back a closure of the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum during the winter months, which would save £79,000, if economies could be found in another way.

It was in favour of putting away £25,000 less each year for the CCTV renewals fund, reasoning that the technology was getting better and cheaper.

But the panel was lukewarm about reducing routine consumer and public health protection work, which could potentially save £134,000 in 2011-12; and doing away with all voluntary sector fund grants in the same year.

Cllr David Smith reminded members: “We’re in difficult times. Outside bodies have to realise things are changing. There are other ways they will have to find the money. If there’s a choice I would sooner we put the money into community safety projects.”

Closing the arts development service, saving £86,000, and any reduction in funding for the Bournemouth Council for Voluntary Services’ volunteer centre were both ruled unacceptable.