Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure which presents the findings of a review into the viability and operation of the City’s Museums Service and sets out the actions taken to date to respond to the issues raised in the review report.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the Review into the City’s Museums Service be received and welcomed and that Jill Shonk be thanked for her work in undertaking the review

(2)       That agreement in principle be given to the transfer of the Gloucester Life Museum site and subject to contract and  delegated authority be given to the Corporate Director, after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, the Head of Policy and Resources and the Council Solicitor to agree the terms and details of the transfer and  complete the transaction; and

(3)       The Head of Cultural and Trading Services be authorised to pursue proposals for a bid for Heritage Lottery Fund Resilience Funding and other funding options and actions necessary to implement the findings of the review and in particular those matters set out in paragraph 3.4 to this report.

Cabinet considered the report of the Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure which:-

a)    presented the findings of a review into the viability and operation of the City’s Museums Service and set out the actions taken to date to respond to the issues raised in the review report;

b)    sought agreement in principle, and subject to contract, for the transfer of the Gloucester Life Museum site; and

c)    sought endorsement of proposals to develop a bid for Heritage Lottery Funding Resilience Funding to take forward other significant elements of the review report’s recommendations.

The Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure referred to paragraph 3.9 of the report and advised that it was proposed that the Gloucester Life Museum be transferred to Gloucester Historic Buildings Ltd.

She confirmed that should the proposed transfer not proceed, the Gloucester Life Museum would not close but an alternative solution would be sought.

She advised Cabinet that the first weekend of the Dinosaur Exhibition had been very successful with over 500 visitors and the gift shop had taken over £600.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning believed that the proposals for the future of the building were the right way to proceed as the maintenance cost of such an historic building were high.  He believed that there had been an incredible amount of work undertaken to stage the Dinosaur Exhibition which would draw large crowds.

The Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources commended the work undertaken on a challenging project by the Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure with the support of officers.

The Deputy Leader of the Council commented that at a time when many local authorities were closing museums, Gloucester’s museums were improving. She believed that an asset based approach, such as that adopted for Llanthony Priory where groups of passionate people were involved, would be the key to the future.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the Review into the City’s Museums Service be received and welcomed and that Jill Shonk be thanked for her work in undertaking the review

(2)       That agreement in principle be given to the transfer of the Gloucester Life Museum site, subject to contract, and  delegated authority be given to the Corporate Director, after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, the Head of Policy and Resources and the Council Solicitor to agree the terms and details of the transfer and  complete the transaction; and

(3)       The Head of Cultural and Trading Services be authorised to pursue proposals for a bid for Heritage Lottery Fund Resilience Funding and other funding options and actions necessary to implement the findings of the review and in particular those matters set out in paragraph 3.4 to this report.