Wirral council is looking for an organisation to take over the running of the Wirral Transport Museum and Birkenhead Tramway.
The council advertised for expressions of interest last month, with applicants asked to demonstrate how they would provide a sustainable future for the museum.
A spokesman said there had been dozens of enquiries and the council would be drawing up a shortlist. He added that trusts or private individuals would be considered, with the main criterion that it remained a transport museum.
The change is a result of cutbacks across the council that led to the closure of the Wirral Museum, which was housed in Birkenhead town hall, at the end of March. According to the council spokesman, an "alternative use" will be found for the town hall, while staff from the museum will be redeployed to the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum. He said the collection would be integrated into the displays at the Williamson.
But a source close to the museum service said there had already been two voluntary redundancies and that staff morale was low.
Meanwhile, 11 libraries in Wirral that had faced closure because of the cuts have been given a stay of execution. After a concerted campaign, culture secretary Andy Burnham was forced to order an enquiry into the libraries' closure. The enquiry will report in June.
The council advertised for expressions of interest last month, with applicants asked to demonstrate how they would provide a sustainable future for the museum.
A spokesman said there had been dozens of enquiries and the council would be drawing up a shortlist. He added that trusts or private individuals would be considered, with the main criterion that it remained a transport museum.
The change is a result of cutbacks across the council that led to the closure of the Wirral Museum, which was housed in Birkenhead town hall, at the end of March. According to the council spokesman, an "alternative use" will be found for the town hall, while staff from the museum will be redeployed to the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum. He said the collection would be integrated into the displays at the Williamson.
But a source close to the museum service said there had already been two voluntary redundancies and that staff morale was low.
Meanwhile, 11 libraries in Wirral that had faced closure because of the cuts have been given a stay of execution. After a concerted campaign, culture secretary Andy Burnham was forced to order an enquiry into the libraries' closure. The enquiry will report in June.
