Proposals for North Yorkshire Council to take Scarborough’s museums and gallery service in-house are due to be considered by councillors.
North Yorkshire Council owns Scarborough Art Gallery, Rotunda Museum and Woodend Gallery and Studios, along with their collections.
The day-to-day management of the buildings has been outsourced to the Scarborough Museums Creative and Cultural Trust (SMCCT) since 2005, but the charity has since asked the council to explore the option of bringing the service back into the authority.
Sally Gorham, Chair of the Trust that currently runs the museum and art galleries said,
“All of the Trustees have been impressed by North Yorkshire Councils commitment to arts and culture and with the economic pressures facing the Trust we believe handing the service back to the Council offers the best guarantee for the future.”
Options are due to be discussed by members of the council’s Executive on Tuesday 18 March.
They include transferring the day-to-day running and management of Scarborough’s museums and galleries back in-house, to be incorporated into the council’s wider Culture & Archives service. Museums and galleries in Harrogate and Skipton including Craven Museum and the Royal Pump Room are among the award-winning cultural sites already run by the council.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for culture, arts and housing, whose responsibilities include museums, Cllr Simon Myers, said:
“These buildings are cultural assets that are enjoyed by thousands of people each year, locals and visitors alike, and are an important part of the tourism offer in the town
“It is vital that we do everything we can to protect and enhance these assets, as well as their collections and the displays on show.
“The council has significant expertise in this area with our culture and archives service currently managing museums, galleries and cultural venues elsewhere across the county.
“Emulating our model in Scarborough represents an opportunity to save taxpayers money and protect the future of the town’s museums and galleries.”
It is estimated that the move could provide annual savings of more than £50,000 with support service and management costs reduced.
The report also identifies that, to allow necessary repairs to be completed, the Rotunda Museum - one of the oldest purpose-built museums still in use in the UK - may temporarily close at some point in the next year.
An alternative proposed option for the running of the Scarborough venues could see the council provide additional financial and management support to assist the trust.
Officers are continuing to work alongside the trust and its staff during the period of decision-making.
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