Council to take over museums in Scarborough despite concerns over funding and ‘lack of transparency’

Council bosses have agreed that the authority will take over the day-to-day running of Scarborough Art Gallery, the Rotunda Museum and Woodend Gallery and Studios following a request by the Scarborough Museums Creative and Cultural Trust (SMCCT).

At a meeting of NYC’s executive committee on Tuesday, March 18, councillors heard from residents concerned about the request by the trust which has handled the sites since 2005.

Trustees said that the arrangement, which saw it receive annual funding of almost £500,000, was no longer viable due to economic pressures and that “there was not a realistic option of delivering objectives”.

However, several speakers at the meeting said there had been a lack of public consultation and raised concerns that future funding levels could be subject to political changes and objectives.

Marie Woods, a heritage professional who was previously a trustee of the museum trust, said: “In my view, the [current] finances place the museums in a viable situation and local authority management can lead to entanglement and financial uncertainty and a situation where resources are reduced.”

Speaking at the meeting, she added: “There has been a complete lack of transparency and little regard for communication, including how it will affect the museum staff, and I urge the trustees and the council to undertake a more robust consultation with the community.”

Coun Simon Myers, the executive member for culture, said the trustees were “a very dedicated, talented group of individuals” who had “thought long and hard about the solutions to ensure that services are delivered for residents, students, and visitors”.

He noted that “this committee is not the trustees, and we have to make a decision based on the representations made to us by them – they have made the decision they have.

“We have been extremely supportive of the trustees and one of our primary concerns was the wellbeing of the staff and ensuring they were fully engaged.”

Another public speaker, John Oxley MBE, a professional archaeologist, said: “It’s my professional view that an independent charitable trust represents by far the best model to provide a museum and gallery service.

“It can access wider funds, make decisions faster, and can be deeply embedded with the local community and does not have to compete with highly constrained local authority funds.”

He added that in recent years the SMCCT’s financial situation was “very rosy” and questioned why “evidence is excluded from the public report because this is, after all, public money”.

Coun Rich Maw, who represents Weaponness and Ramshill, asked for a commitment to ensuring equal or greater funding for coastal museum services in the future, noting “there is no statutory responsibility for local authorities to provide a museum service”.

Coun Myers, executive member for culture, said he understood the concerns but said “I’m a great believer in the provision of cultural services by the council”.

He added: “At the moment, we have an absolute commitment to deliver these services, including to our more deprived communities.

“These are jewels in our crown, and I hope to develop a plan that delivers well for both residents and visitors.”

The trust’s current service level agreement with the council, which set out funding including a guaranteed annual increase tied to the consumer price index (CPI), was set to run until the end of 2038.

The executive committee voted unanimously to approve the recommendation and request from the SMCCT.