'We can't take over Walsall Leather Museum due to our own pressures' - Heritage bosses give mixed response to calls to back move from 19th century workshop
The major heritage preservation trusts have given a mixed response to calls for them to block council plans to move Walsall's Leather Museum from a 19th century workshop site.
Walsall Council wants to relocate the attraction to make room for college students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and save money.
Walsall and Bloxwich MP Valerie Vaz has since written to the National Trust, Historic England and Arts Council England to ask them to intervene in moves to transfer the Littleton Street West visitor attraction which is based at a former leatherworks built in the 1800s, to Walsall College situated next door.
In response the National Trust stated: “We recognise the importance of places like the Walsall Leather Museum and work extensively with partners in Birmingham and the West Midlands. We are also aware of the financial pressures impacting the heritage sector, indeed this year we at the National Trust have undertaken our own formal consultation with staff in order to find savings, resulting in a six per cent reduction in jobs.
“Due to these pressures across the sector, we have seen an increase in requests for our support, including Valerie Vaz MP’s request regarding the Leather Museum. Last month, enabled by an endowment from the government, we announced that the National Trust would be taking on care of the Ironbridge Gorge museums from the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. This is one of the largest acquisitions in the National Trust’s history.
