Walsall Council breached FOI rules in Leather Museum row, regulator rules

Walsall Council breached Freedom of Information rules in relation to the controversial Leather Museum scheme, a regulator has ruled.

For over 12 months campaigners have been fighting to keep the much-loved attraction at its home on Littleton Street West–a Grade II Victorian leather factory building.

In April the museum closed its doors for the last time before its planned relocation to 1-3 The Bridge, which it will eventually share with the council’s children’s services.

The relocation scheme also includes moving the SEND offering at Walsall College’s Hawbush Road campus into the former museum building, at a cost of £2.4m from the public purse.

Lead campaigner Linda Boys has continued to argue there’s been ‘shed loads’ of unanswered questions throughout the process.

She complained to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) after Walsall Council failed to respond to one of her FOI requests submitted in November 2025.

In the request she asked about a £47,550 feasibility study which was never made public, any alternative site options for the SEND offering, and the council’s asset management process.

Linda has doubts as to whether cabinet members ever saw the Walsall Future Museum feasibility assessment before approving the plans in September 2025.

Most of the recommendations in the costly study, which was leaked to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, have so far been ignored.

The ICO ruled that Walsall Council had breached Section 10 of the FOI Act by not responding to Linda within 20 working days.

The regulator ordered the council to provide a substantive response to the request before June 13, 2026.

A spokesperson for the authority said it has complied with the Information Commission’s requirements.

Linda said: “You’ve got to ask, why has it been such a struggle for any information from a council that keeps telling us they’re open and transparent and have nothing to hide?

“We’ve still got loads of unanswered questions or things that are in dispute.”

A council spokesperson said: “The council has acknowledged and complied with the Information Commissioner’s requirements in relation to this request, and the information was disclosed within the required timeframe.”

Ahead of the local elections last month, Reform UK heavily criticised the ruling Conservatives over the Leather Museum plans and vowed that they would do everything within their power to return the attraction to Littleton Street West.

Councillors on Monday night will be debating the topic at a full council meeting.

Linda added: “We’re pretty much at a point now where it’s in the hands of the politicians. I would expect them to honour what they set out in their manifesto and their commitments they made.

“Whoever is in administration, we will continue to hold their feet to the fire.”