‘Keeping museums open should always be a key priority’

It was great to learn that the axe hanging over Bristol’s historic properties – the Red Lodge, Georgian House and Blaise Museum – seems to have been lifted.

This act of cultural vandalism has been put to bed. For now.

Many will recall that the controversial idea of closing these buildings to the public was first aired under former mayor George Ferguson as a potential cost-cutting measure.

It was included as part of a three-year spending review but was successfully removed following strong political opposition to what my group – and others – saw as an extremely harmful and retrograde step.

The protection of these historical assets, at its most basic level, clearly reflects a core tenet of Conservative political philosophy.

That is the belief in the need to preserve the best of the past because our heritage represents the very foundation upon which a stable and meaningful society is built.

Local museums are incredibly important link to our shared past; they hold cultural artefacts and collections, provide invaluable educational experiences, remain major tourist attractions, help to foster civic pride, and enhance the city’s cultural identity.

Keeping them open and free to enter should always be a key priority of any administration.

Our institutions, traditions, values and cultural heritage are not quaint relics but things which incapsulate accumulated knowledge and wisdom proven across time.

This is not something that should be easily discarded for some short-term, marginal and paltry financial gain.

For example, the four sites identified in 2014 (which included Kings Weston Roman Villa) aimed at delivering or contributing a saving of just £162,000 for the 2015/16 budget.

Kings Weston Roman Villa in Lawrence Weston will also now continue to welcome visitors – photo: Martin Booth

Last February, as part of the budget-setting process, it was initially proposed that shutting three museums might save £132,000 by 2030.

However, as argued at the time, even these estimates may not have been realised because the authority still had responsibilities to maintain the structural integrity of the buildings but would be effectively denuding itself of any visitor income to offset such on-going costs.

The campaign opposing such closures (including my online petition which triggered a debate on this issue at the full council meeting in March) was successful in helping to secure a 12-month reprieve.

This was to enable other options and funding arrangements to be explored by council officials.

Here, some credit is due to the current administration in choosing to defer any final decision in this matter until such work had been done.

It is only right to also acknowledge the strong cross-party support for keeping these building open to the public.

The Red Lodge was one of three museums across Bristol earmarked for closure – photo: Martin Booth

So here we are today with the announcement that alternative proposals are being prepared which will save these museums.

Of course, we have still to see the details of the new plans and, it should be noted, the current budget consultation warns that any final decision is contingent on the government’s financial settlement.

But, at this stage, I remain quietly optimistic that a way forward appears to have been found to secure the future of this crucially important service.

This is an opinion piece by Mark Weston, Bristol’s Conservative group leader

Main photo: Bristol City Council

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