Petition launched to save Walsall Leather Museum

Hundreds of people have signed a petition against the planned closure and relocation of Walsall Leather Museum.

Signed off by Walsall Council in September, the plan will see the museum moved to a town centre location and its existing building, an original 19^th-century leather factory, leased to Walsall College at a peppercorn rent to use as a hub for students with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).

Campaigners fear the plan will lead to the museum being closed for good, and warn the historic building is not suitable for use as a Send space without extensive remodeling.

The petition, which launched this week, accuses the council of “silently stripping away a cherished historical community asset that belongs to all of us”.

“This decision is being made behind closed doors, with no meaningful public consultation and no transparency about how or when these choices were or are made,” it says.

“[The council has] no formal plans to provide an alternative building or protect the museum’s historic collections.”

The petition calls on the council to stop the proposed relocation or closure plans immediately; hold a full, open public consultation before any final decision is made; publish the full timeline and reasoning behind the process; and commit to transparency and accountability in all future dealings involving community assets.

The campaign is supported by local MP Valerie Vaz, who has called for an urgent debate in the House of Commons on the accountability of institutions for the use of public money.

Vaz told the house last week: “Walsall College and Walsall Council are closing the iconic Leather Museum against the wishes of local people, but no financial information is available.”

The controversial plans are opposed by many of Walsall’s leather artisans, who say the museum is a vital resource and could benefit from the town’s burgeoning leather industry, which has gained an international reputation and is predicted to grow at a rate of 7.3% by 2030.

A number of campaigners attended a scrutiny committee in October to air their concerns, accusing the council of breaking its own consultation protocol to push through the relocation.

But council leader Mike Bird said the museum had become too expensive to run in the current building and was currently costing the council £17.53 for every visitor.

A council spokesperson said: “We are liaising with many stakeholders about how the museum can become more viable in the long term. There is a need to increase footfall and improve its offer, so it provides value for money and better represents the history and heritage of our borough.”

The scrutiny committee passed a recommendation to halt the plans until alternatives had been explored, but this was voted down at a subsequent council committee meeting.

Lauren Broxton, a local leatherworker and designer who is leading the campaign to save the museum, said the situation was now “critical”. Work to decant the collections and strip the building could begin as early as January next year.

“We continue to be gravely disappointed by Walsall Council's disposal of the Walsall Leather Museum, displaying blatant disregard for heritage via the tokenistic use of some of the most vulnerable in society to justify their aims,” Broxton told Museums Journal.

She said the council had failed to answer many questions about the move and associated costs, and that its plans remained “shrouded in secrecy”.

“The scrutiny committee provided ample opportunity for leaders to demonstrate that they hold the concerns of the communities they are elected to serve seriously and inspire confidence that they will handle our collective heritage sensitively and seriously,” she said.

“What we saw in the chamber was contempt for those who ask reasonable questions of their leaders and a refusal to lead with transparency and competence.”

Broxton said that she and fellow campaigners had “put forward numerous suggestions and proposals to help secure a viable future for the museum that links the heritage of the town to the leather industry's place in the modern world”.

“We are currently in the midst of a £1.5bn investment set to regenerate Walsall town centre – the executive summary for the bid opens with 'Walsall, historic home of leather and locks', proceeding to call Walsall 'the UK home of Leather',” said Broxton.

“Written a mere three years ago, one has to ask why it has taken councillors and executives such a short timeframe to forget this and ignore a definitive past and heritage that could well pave the way for significant economic regeneration.

“You cannot rebuild culture from the ground up. As a collective, we have provided significant support and viable proposals. It seems that what we are facing with the council is a case of 'if they wanted to, they would'.”

A statement from the council said: “We understand that some residents may have concerns about the relocation, but we would like to reassure them that their museum will continue to be an important part of Walsall borough in the future.”