Three music services are planning to join together over fears they could lose funding and have to close otherwise, due to government changes to how music education is funded.

The council-run music services which provide music education to young people in North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset are now planning to join together to form one independent organisation.

Approximately 150 people work across the three music services. Under this plan, they would transfer to the new organisation and there would not be any planned redundancies.

A report by the head of North Somerset and South Gloucestershire's music services, Simon Lock, stated: "We believe this is the only viable option to retain the government funding on which the service relies."

It stated that changes to how music education is funded mean that all music services will need to re-bid to retain government funding in a bidding process which, for the first time, will be a highly competitive process with a range of organisations also bidding for the contracts.

Mr Lock told North Somerset councillors on the children's services scrutiny panel that the local authority's music service would be too small to secure funding on its own.

He warned: "If we do not attract further funding, the current business model cannot continue."

A consultant funded by Arts Council England helped the three music services, who had already been collaborating in many areas, to draw up the plans to form one independent organisation.

Mr Lock told councillors: "The timeline is extremely short."

Agreement on the plans will be sought from the three councils this year and the new organisation will need to bid for funding in January and February. If the bid is successful, staff will transfer across to the new organisation and it will take on the work of the three music services from September.

However, if the bid for funding is not successful, the music services would need to close.

The music services provide services such as children's music lessons and exams, loaning instruments to schools, and running orchestras and bands for young people.