The British Empire and Commonwealth Museum’s (BECM) collections are to transfer to Bristol City Council at the end of July.
The council has also purchased the museum site at Old Temple Meads for £3.8m, backed by the Homes and Communities Agency, allowing the museum to pay off all its loans.
The BECM closed to the public in 2008 pending a move to London, which was scrapped in the light of losses totalling more than £870,000 since 2006.
Accounts filed in November last year show that the museum had a bank loan of £970,000, with repayments deferred, and an overdraft facility of £185,000 against a limit of £250,000.
A review by staff at Bristol museums service of the 50,000 objects in the BECM collection, following the disposal of a number of objects – allegedly without the knowledge of the BECM’s trustees – is still ongoing.
The museum would not confirm whether any further objects are missing from the collection until the review was complete.
Five members of staff working on venue hire and building maintenance at the BECM are to be transferred to Bristol City Council, while an administration role will be made redundant this summer.
The council has also purchased the museum site at Old Temple Meads for £3.8m, backed by the Homes and Communities Agency, allowing the museum to pay off all its loans.
The BECM closed to the public in 2008 pending a move to London, which was scrapped in the light of losses totalling more than £870,000 since 2006.
Accounts filed in November last year show that the museum had a bank loan of £970,000, with repayments deferred, and an overdraft facility of £185,000 against a limit of £250,000.
A review by staff at Bristol museums service of the 50,000 objects in the BECM collection, following the disposal of a number of objects – allegedly without the knowledge of the BECM’s trustees – is still ongoing.
The museum would not confirm whether any further objects are missing from the collection until the review was complete.
Five members of staff working on venue hire and building maintenance at the BECM are to be transferred to Bristol City Council, while an administration role will be made redundant this summer.
