Walsall Museum has been saved from closure following a consultation with the local community.
The local council had mooted closing the museum, which costs £70,000 a year to run, in order to cut costs in its 2014-15 budget.
The proposal was part of a long-term plan to open a new heritage centre on the site that would merge Walsall Museum with the nearby Leather Museum and Walsall Local History Centre.
But over 90% of residents who responded to the consultation said they were opposed to the closure.
Walsall Council leader Mike Bird confirmed this week that the museum will stay open until the new heritage centre is ready.
Councillor Ian Shires, in charge of community engagement and voluntary sector at Walsall Council, said: “In our own detailed survey more than 90% of people were in favour of keeping Walsall Museum open. I’m delighted that we have listened to the people and changed our plans.”
The museum’s community history curator Jennifer Thomson said staff and volunteers at the museum were delighted with the reprieve.
The museum had been one of several venues across the UK threatened with closure as local authorities make ongoing cuts to their budgets.
Cynon Valley Museum in Wales and Snibston Discovery Museum in the East Midlands are among those still facing an uncertain future.
The local council had mooted closing the museum, which costs £70,000 a year to run, in order to cut costs in its 2014-15 budget.
The proposal was part of a long-term plan to open a new heritage centre on the site that would merge Walsall Museum with the nearby Leather Museum and Walsall Local History Centre.
But over 90% of residents who responded to the consultation said they were opposed to the closure.
Walsall Council leader Mike Bird confirmed this week that the museum will stay open until the new heritage centre is ready.
Councillor Ian Shires, in charge of community engagement and voluntary sector at Walsall Council, said: “In our own detailed survey more than 90% of people were in favour of keeping Walsall Museum open. I’m delighted that we have listened to the people and changed our plans.”
The museum’s community history curator Jennifer Thomson said staff and volunteers at the museum were delighted with the reprieve.
The museum had been one of several venues across the UK threatened with closure as local authorities make ongoing cuts to their budgets.
Cynon Valley Museum in Wales and Snibston Discovery Museum in the East Midlands are among those still facing an uncertain future.
