Cash strapped council’s museum sale raises concerns

Derbyshire County Council’s plan to sell the buildings that house Buxton Museum & Art Gallery have caused concern among local campaigners, who fear the institution will be scrapped entirely as the local authority attempts to plug a £33m budget deficit.

Located in the historic Peak Buildings complex since 1928, the council-run museum closed suddenly in June 2023 after structural issues related to dry rot were discovered.

The local authority co-funded a significant refurbishment of the building in 2017 along with the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, the Bingham Trust, the Wolfson Foundation, and the Paul Mellon Centre.

However, the council say the building is no longer viable due to “the potential costs and length of time which could be needed for us to bring the building back into use as a modern-day museum”.

Council Leader Barry Lewis said that the council had been left with “no choice” but to “reluctantly relocate” the museum and art gallery following ongoing building assessments, adding that work to move all artefacts would begin immediately, following which the building will be put up for sale.

“It would be far better for the building and town if the building was sold to a buyer who could invest in it and bring it back up to a high standard,” continued Lewis.

“This would be out of our reach as a local authority, and this way, we would be able to retain the sale price and re-invest in the museum when we find a new and appropriate location.”

He said the council remains “fully committed” to supporting the museum and its future in Buxton and that plans are being developed to display the collections locally in the interim period before a permanent home is found.

Despite Lewis’ assurance, residents have launched a campaign to save the museum. 

Supporters are concerned that the council has already cut or fully withdrawn funding to other heritage services to save money and are preparing to demonstrate outside the building on 8 June.

A statement from the campaigners to Museums Association said: “The lack of information has raised questions and fears that Buxton Museum & Art Gallery as we know it will be significantly reduced or scrapped altogether.

“This event [on 8 June] reflects concerns that the closure, coinciding with Derbyshire County Council's significant budget deficit and subsequent spending freeze in September 2023, will make it particularly challenging to resolve.

"The public event aims to highlight the scale of passion that the local community feel for Buxton Museum & Art Gallery and the valuable contribution that it has made to education, tourism, and cultural expression over the years.”