Southwark Council has voted to close the Livesey Museum for Children at the end of the month despite protests from the local community.
Nick Stanton, leader of the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition council, said the reason for the closure was that the borough had received its worst financial settlement from the government in a decade, and had been forced to make tough decisions.
"When the council looked at provision within culture and leisure, a stark choice was faced between museums, libraries and leisure centres," he said. "Local people have made it clear that their preference is for improved libraries and leisure centres. The simple fact is that keeping the Livesey open would mean closing a leisure centre or two libraries instead. This is a terrible decision to have to make."
But supporters of the Livesey said the council will save only about £150,000 a year by closing the museum.
Andrew Pakes, a Labour councillor in Southwark, said he was devastated by the "gung-ho" attitude of the council. He suggested that the money to run the museum should be found from other areas of council spending.
"The council spends £300,000 a year on refreshments," he said. "I am quite prepared to go without tea and coffee at council meetings if it means saving the museum. It is a tight budget, but there is no evidence that they have looked at other options."
Pakes said he had been heartened by the community response to the proposed closure. More than 12,000 people have signed a petition, and demonstrations have taken place outside executive and council meetings.
Museums, Libraries and Archives London met officers from the council to discuss the closure last month. Graham Fisher, chief executive of MLA London, said he was disappointed that alternative funding options had not been explored.
"We need to have all the options on the table," he said. "The museum has undertaken innovative work with local communities. It is an irony that the decision was taken at the same time that the 'cultural offer' scheme was introduced. Southwark would have been an ideal borough for extending the cultural offer. But that is not likely to happen now."
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Nick Stanton, leader of the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition council, said the reason for the closure was that the borough had received its worst financial settlement from the government in a decade, and had been forced to make tough decisions.
"When the council looked at provision within culture and leisure, a stark choice was faced between museums, libraries and leisure centres," he said. "Local people have made it clear that their preference is for improved libraries and leisure centres. The simple fact is that keeping the Livesey open would mean closing a leisure centre or two libraries instead. This is a terrible decision to have to make."
But supporters of the Livesey said the council will save only about £150,000 a year by closing the museum.
Andrew Pakes, a Labour councillor in Southwark, said he was devastated by the "gung-ho" attitude of the council. He suggested that the money to run the museum should be found from other areas of council spending.
"The council spends £300,000 a year on refreshments," he said. "I am quite prepared to go without tea and coffee at council meetings if it means saving the museum. It is a tight budget, but there is no evidence that they have looked at other options."
Pakes said he had been heartened by the community response to the proposed closure. More than 12,000 people have signed a petition, and demonstrations have taken place outside executive and council meetings.
Museums, Libraries and Archives London met officers from the council to discuss the closure last month. Graham Fisher, chief executive of MLA London, said he was disappointed that alternative funding options had not been explored.
"We need to have all the options on the table," he said. "The museum has undertaken innovative work with local communities. It is an irony that the decision was taken at the same time that the 'cultural offer' scheme was introduced. Southwark would have been an ideal borough for extending the cultural offer. But that is not likely to happen now."
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www.gopetition.com/online/16681.html
