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Museum to remain open five days a week

Joanna Taylor
BBC News, Peterborough
LAURENCE CAWLEY/BBC The façade of the museum includes the word 'Museum' on sand-coloured bricks. There is a balcony overlooking four columns above the entrance. A man is walking past the museum and there are trees on either side. LAURENCE CAWLEY/BBC
The council said there were no immediate plans to reduce Peterborough Museum & Gallery's opening hours

A city's museum and art gallery will remain open five days a week, despite suggestions it could have its hours cut to save cash.

The Friends of Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery welcomed news the institution in Priestgate would not see any changes to its timetable, at least in the short term.

The city council's budget, approved this week, said the authority would work with the museum to "achieve savings by reducing the opening hours".

Council leader Dennis Jones said the authority was still "exploring options" for the future, but added it did not plan to make immediate changes.

He said an upcoming exhibition based around Dr Who was likely to be a "game-changer" for the museum.

The Time and Space exhibition will follow the Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists, which runs until 31 May.

Chair of the Friends of Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery (FPMAG), Stewart Howe, previously told the BBC's Politics East programme that the council was considering closing the museum for half of the week.

He has since said he was awaiting clarity on the details around the museum's future, but added that it was looking "good".

New lift and improved accessibility

Mr Howe said he was "delighted" that the museum had also been allocated £137,000 by central government to replace its lift and improve overall accessibility.

The money came from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport's (DCMS) Museum Estate and Development Fund.

Mr Howe said: "This funding for the lift refurbishment at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery is a vital improvement, which will greatly enhance accessibility for all visitors, ensuring the museum remains a welcoming space for everyone."

Peterborough Museum & Gallery is run by Peterborough Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the council.

It is open from Tuesday to Saturday weekly between 10:00 and 16:00. Admission is free outside of special event days.

Other potential cost-cutting measures, aimed at plugging a £23m shortfall, which were included in the council's draft budget have since been paused or scrapped.

A proposal to mothball the city's art deco lido was reversed, while a proposal to reduce the city's library stock from 10 to three was replaced with plans for a library "needs assessment".

Council tax will be raised by 4.99% and other cuts, such as those to a park's cleaning schedule and the highways maintenance budget, remain in play.

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