Museum of Cannock Chase likely to close in April

The Museum of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire is likely to close in April due to council cuts.

According to the BBC's Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cannock Chase District Council agreed a package of cuts this week in an attempt to close a £1.3m budget shortfall. The plans will see the council cut financial support to the museum and the Prince of Wales Theatre.

However talks are currently underway with other groups in an attempt to keep the two venues open.

Council leader Tony Johnson said: “We are working with local groups, supporting them to take up the running of the facilities, so they can continue to be run by local people for local people, even if the council's financial support has to be reduced.”

Asked about what plans were in place for artefacts in the museum, Johnson said a detailed plan for decommissioning would be prepared.

He said: “Provision has been included in the budget for such work and the digitalisation of the collection.

“We do not have current details of the ownership of the artefacts, but this will form part of the transition.”

Johnson said the council was working with funding partners to identify any requirements for returning unused funds and grants awarded to the museum.

Reprieve for Abbey House Museum

Abbey House Museum has been given a reprieve after it was threatened with closure under Leeds City Council’s budget plans. The council says it is facing “unprecedented financial pressures” and needs to close a £104m gap in its budget.  

The council withdrew the closure proposal earlier this month after a passionate local campaign to save the museum, with around 10,000 people responding to the council’s budget consultation.

The museum will now remain open to visitors as normal and planning for upcoming events and exhibitions will continue. However, the council said savings still need to be made, and “alternative options to secure to the savings required are currently being reviewed”.

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said: “The public response to the Abbey House Museum consultation has been incredibly passionate and we’d like to thank everybody who has participated.

“The overriding sentiment has been that people across Leeds clearly recognise the unique social value of our museums and galleries to their communities and local heritage.

“We have always been clear that these types of proposals are not ones that we ever want to bring forward. But the severe and sustained pressures on our budget have given us no choice but to consider some options which we would never normally look at.

“However, we are always committed to listening and responding to the views of the public and working to find solutions which fit their needs where we can.

“It was clear from ward members the strength of feeling locally, and this has been replicated from across Leeds in the consultation. As a result, we’re pleased to say the museum will stay open.

“What we need now is for people channel the passion and enthusiasm they have demonstrated during the consultation into visiting and engaging with the site as much as possible over the coming months so we can all work to support its future.”

Bristol museums get 12-month stay of execution

Three museums in Bristol have been given a stay of execution by Bristol City Council.

The local authority was considering closing the Red Lodge Museum, Blaise Castle Museum and the Georgian House in order to save £146,000. The proposal would have seen the venues mothballed while councillors explored other ways of running and funding them.

The council said the three museums earmarked for closure only open two-thirds of the year, and then only for four days a week. Blaise Museum receives 18,000 visitors a year and both Georgian House and Red Lodge receive between 8,000 and 9,000.

The proposal was heavily criticised, with campaigners warning the move would “obliterate” the city’s culture and turn Bristol into a “cultural desert”.

The council has now deferred the plan for 12 months. In a blog, council leader Tony Dyer said: “We are recommending deferring the options to introduce savings in the museums service and reduce the amount of funding in the Cultural Investment Programme. The proposed deferral would be for twelve months to enable officers and councillors to work with the city to identify alternative options for these important aspects of Bristol’s cultural landscape.”

Hampshire Cultural Trust to pull out of five sites

Hampshire Cultural Trust, which provides cultural services on behalf of local authorities across Hampshire, is to cease operating five venues following Hampshire County Council’s decision to reduce its funding by £600,000 from April 2027.

The trust will exit from the operation of Ashcroft Arts Centre and Eastleigh Museum at the end of March this year.

Andover Museum and the Museum of the Iron Age in Andover (both of which occupy the same building), and Curtis Museum in Alton are at risk of closure in 2026. The trust says: “We are continuing to work with local partners and stakeholders to find a solution to prevent the closure of these venues so that we can meet the needs of local communities.”

The trust has already withdrawn from two other heritage sites.

It pulled out of Bursledon Windmill in April 2024 after the withdrawal of funding by Eastleigh Borough Council, as well as the findings of a health and safety report, which imposed requirements that would not have been financially viable without further investment.

The trust exited from the operation of Westbury Manor Museum in Fareham on 31 December 2024. Both sites remain closed to the public.

Buxton Museum building sold off

The former home of Buxton Museum and Art Gallery in Derbyshire has been sold for £435,000.

Derbyshire County Council closed the museum in June 2024, saying the Peak Buildings property that housed the institution was unsafe due to structural issues caused by dry rot.

Museum supporters expressed concerns that the council was planning to reduce the size of its museum service following the move.

The property was listed on Rightmove in November 2024 and sold in January by SDL Auctioneers.

The council is carrying out a feasibility study to identify suitable alternative premises to house the collections and reopen the museum and art gallery to the public in a new location in the town.

It said last November: “Working with partners, a number of potential locations have been identified in recent months, and a feasibility study began to assess what it could cost to convert one of the sites identified into an accessible, modern museum and art gallery space.

“The results of the feasibility study and whether a suitable conversion is possible and affordable will be known soon. If the outcome is positive, then details will be made public and a decision will be made on whether this is the most suitable location for the new museum.”

Some of the museum’s collections have gone into safe storage until a new home is found. Other objects will be displayed in alternative venues, including Buxton Library, where staff are working temporarily.

Supporters of the museum say they will ramp up their efforts to ensure it finds a permanent home following the sale of the building.