Canterbury City Council will cut its museum services budget by £112,600 over the next two years, raising fears that three museums face closure.
The move follows budget proposals issued last autumn, when the Conservative-controlled council “identified savings through the possible closure of the Roman and West Gate Towers museums in Canterbury and changing the use of Herne Bay Museum and Gallery to become a community and education-focused history space”.
But following a public consultation and protests by organisations such as the Council of British Archaeology, a council spokesman said the three museums would “remain open on their normal opening hours for the whole of this financial year [2010-11]”.
He added that the council would “work with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, and other interested organisations and local groups, on how we can run our museums in the future”. Staff at the museums declined to comment.
But James Flanagan, a Liberal Democrat councillor representing Westgate ward in Canterbury, said he feared for the future of the museums because budget projections for 2010-14 discussed at a meeting of the council executive in January included the following statement:
“We operate six museums in the district – these are very expensive to maintain... we are proposing to develop two flagship museums and an art gallery in the city [Museum of Canterbury and the Beaney Institute]”.
He added: “The Roman Museum will close, with collections moved to the Museum of Canterbury. West Gate Towers would also close [it is currently open one day a week]. We propose to turn Herne Bay Museum into a community and education space and rehouse many of the exhibits locally for people to continue to enjoy.
“These plans were voted on as part of the revenue budget debate at the meeting of the council on 18 February. They form the basis of revenue/expenditure plans.”
The council declined to comment.
The move follows budget proposals issued last autumn, when the Conservative-controlled council “identified savings through the possible closure of the Roman and West Gate Towers museums in Canterbury and changing the use of Herne Bay Museum and Gallery to become a community and education-focused history space”.
But following a public consultation and protests by organisations such as the Council of British Archaeology, a council spokesman said the three museums would “remain open on their normal opening hours for the whole of this financial year [2010-11]”.
He added that the council would “work with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, and other interested organisations and local groups, on how we can run our museums in the future”. Staff at the museums declined to comment.
But James Flanagan, a Liberal Democrat councillor representing Westgate ward in Canterbury, said he feared for the future of the museums because budget projections for 2010-14 discussed at a meeting of the council executive in January included the following statement:
“We operate six museums in the district – these are very expensive to maintain... we are proposing to develop two flagship museums and an art gallery in the city [Museum of Canterbury and the Beaney Institute]”.
He added: “The Roman Museum will close, with collections moved to the Museum of Canterbury. West Gate Towers would also close [it is currently open one day a week]. We propose to turn Herne Bay Museum into a community and education space and rehouse many of the exhibits locally for people to continue to enjoy.
“These plans were voted on as part of the revenue budget debate at the meeting of the council on 18 February. They form the basis of revenue/expenditure plans.”
The council declined to comment.