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Three museums could close due to council cost-cutting
Draft proposals being shared at a confidential meeting on Monday include the closure of three museums.
In an email to council staff from the director of economy of place at City Hall, the drastic options are laid out which if they go ahead would be a body blow to Bristol’s museum service.
Blaise Museum, the Georgian House and the Red Lodge could all be closed as well as a reduction in opening hours at Bristol Archives.
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At this stage, the proposals are just ideas and not part of the draft budget, with a group of councillors now set to decide if the closures of the three museums would help contribute to the drastic cost-cutting the council needs to achieve in order to deliver a balanced budget.
Bristol24/7 understands that closing the Red Lodge would only result in saving staff costs, with the building still needing to be heated to protect its historic wooden interior from moisture.
It is likely that the council would not be able to sell any of the buildings due to how they were acquired by the council on behalf of the people of the city in perpetuity.
There are also fears that if Blaise Museum is mothballed, it could be even more susceptible to the vandalism which has blighted the site in recent years.
Blaise Museum explores how people lived through time – photo: Martin Booth
The Georgian House on Great George Street shows what a sugar plantation and slave owner’s home might have looked like in around 1790 – photo: Martin Booth
Treasures inside the Red Lodge include the last complete Elizabethan room in Bristol – photo: Martin Booth
In an email seen by Bristol24/7 from Alex Hearn, director of economy of place at Bristol City Council, he told staff of the “potential savings”.
He said: “At this stage a range of options are being considered to find savings, however the total savings required will depend on what is announced in the local financial settlement by the national government next week.
“Whilst the amount we have to save will depend on this settlement, proposals being considered by the group include: the closure to the public of Blaise Museum, Georgian House and Red Lodge and a reduction in public opening hours of the Archives Searchroom.
“Although no final decisions are made on the council’s budget savings until Full Council in February, our current expectation, given the scale of the challenges, is that the above groups will be impacted in some way.
“Any proposed changes agreed will require public consultation of 12 weeks.
“If changes are approved after the consultation, any proposals that impact staff will be managed in line with the council’s Managing Change Policy, with support from HR.
“Please rest assured that the details of any specific proposals and timescales will be shared with you by myself or your managers.”
Hearn said that “specific savings proposals” are expected to be announced in January.
The proposals will be discussed at the strategy & resources committee on February 3 ahead of the possible confirmation of the museum closures at a full council meeting on February 25.
Hearn added: “I understand that this is very unsettling news to receive prior to Christmas and I’m sorry we can’t provide you with more detail at this stage, but we wanted to ensure you heard the news from us.”
Entry to all of Bristol’s museums is free but donations are requested – photo: Martin Booth
Tony Dyer, leader of Bristol City Council and chair of the strategy & resources committee, said: “The forecasted gap between how much we believe we will need to spend next year and the income we predict to receive is just under £52m.
“Our task between now and the end of the financial year in March is to find a way of closing that gap and deliver a legal, balanced budget.
“At this stage proposals from all areas of the council are being considered and this includes libraries, social services, waste services, some culture services, and internal services such as IT, finance and HR.
“This process is vital to ensure that we review and scrutinise every detail and be confident our plans are financially watertight and resilient for the long term.
“We must also fully take into account the impact the budget will have on the residents of our city.
“Any decisions on balancing our finances will only be made after the proposals for achieving this have been through multiple layers of scrutiny and review.
“Many will also be subject to public consultation, which will ensure resident opinion plays a big role in shaping how these proposals are taken forward.”
The drastic proposals include a reduction in opening hours at Bristol Archives search rooms, located in B Bond warehouse – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: Martin Booth
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