Wirral’s Strategic Asset Review- An update
Wirral Museum
In late 2008 Wirral’s Strategic Asset Review proposed the closure of many council buildings, with Cultural Services being particularly hard hit as this section operates something like 50% of the authority’s building stock. The review was to reduce the liabilities that accompany the care of ageing and ill-maintained buildings. This would be accomplished by a combination of closures and location of alternative providers – chiefly, passing into community control. One year later, following a considerable period of unrest, the decision to close 11 libraries was rescinded, but no other decision was altered.
The former Birkenhead Town Hall, rendered redundant by local authority reorganisation in 1974, opened as Wirral Museum in 2001 housing exhibitions and displays linked more directly to local history than Wirral had previously managed, and Wirral Archives. It was also a performance venue and, with projection equipment from the Projected Picture Trust, was briefly the only working cinema in Birkenhead. It was always under-resourced and the Asset Review recommended closure and seeking another use for the building. The Archives had previously moved out into another building in summer 2008. The closure happened in April 2009 and subsequently 2 staff took early voluntary retirement. This remains the only building in Wirral to have closed as a direct result of the Review and those two the only losses to staff.
Wirral Transport Museum & Birkenhead Tramway, the only UK heritage light railway to run on public highways, were recommended for transfer along with Pacific Road Arts Centre, but would be maintained by Wirral Council’s Arts & Museums section until another management was found.
Following advertising, a closure date for expressions of interest was set in July and a limited number of bidders were invited to the next stage, the closing date for which was Friday 6th November. These will be considered in detail and be passed to Cabinet for a firm decision on the preferred bidder in each case, a decision expected to be made at the Wirral Cabinet meeting of December 9th. The process has been handled by Wirral’s Asset Management Team and throughout the emphasis has been on transfer of buildings and services; ownership of collections will not be transferred, but loan arrangements will be discussed, and the expectation is that all current partners (transport volunteers with a wide range of different enthusiasms on every side) will be included in the future operations.
The decisions will probably be confidential until the New Year but we hope we can a) stop spreading existing resources too thinly to be effective and b) work with new management bodies who will be able to realise the potential of the buildings and operations in a way that Wirral Museums could not. I believe it is hoped that transfers will be completed by the end of March 2010.
