Andover museum under threat of closure
Hampshire cultural Trust say it's due to local authority cost cutting
Hampshire Cultural Trust (HCT) has confirmed that five of the venues it operates in the county – four museums and one arts centre – are at risk of closure as a result of local authority funding challenges.
One of them is the Andover museum.
The five proposed venues could potentially close under a phased plan over the next three years.
The venues affected and the anticipated time scales for closure are:
• Andover Museum and the Museum of the Iron Age – 2026
• Curtis Museum, Alton – 2026
• Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham – autumn 2024
• Westbury Manor Museum, Fareham – January 2025
• Eastleigh Museum – currently temporarily closed to the public; permanent closure January 2025
Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council is the trust’s largest funder, currently contributing £2.5 million per annum, but under its current budget consultation, which opened to the public today, it is proposed that this funding will be cut by £600,000 per annum by 2027. In December 2023, the council agreed separately to transfer operation of Winchester’s Great Hall to the trust as part of a new vision for the city’s historic castle area. Under the terms of this transfer, the trust will incur a further £400,000 grant reduction by 2027 in recognition of the commercial opportunity presented by the transfer.
Paul Sapwell, Chief Executive of Hampshire Cultural Trust, said:
“Our position is that we do not want to close any of the venues we operate, but faced with substantially reduced local authority funding, we have had no option but to make some very difficult decisions. We intend to mitigate the full effect of the funding challenge through a wider business plan that includes potentially taking on new, more financially sustainable venues, as well as growing existing areas of our business. However, new opportunities and growth cannot fully offset the reduction in council funding currently proposed and some venue closures will therefore also be necessary.
“With a £2.5 million project to refurbish the Allen Gallery already underway in Alton, we remain fully committed to high-quality cultural provision in the town. We also enjoy a very positive working relationship with Test Valley Borough Council and are delighted that they have received Levelling Up Funding in the latest round. With a three-year window ahead of us, we will work with local partners to find solutions that may enable us to keep these venues in Alton and Andover open, however, without additional funding this will of course be challenging.”
Hampshire county council is controlled by the conservatives.