Museum development at risk as funding 'under review'

The revamp of Liverpool's slavery museum will include a new entrance at the Dr Martin Luther King Jr building

A £10m government grant to redevelop the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool is under review following the Budget.

The government said it is "minded to withdraw" the funding which was announced last year as part of a raft of Levelling Up cultural bids.

Museum bosses say they are still committed to the project, which would also include the redevelopment of the Maritime Museum.

The Conservative government first announced it £100m Levelling Up plan for culture projects in 2023.

In March 2024 specific projects were provisionally allocated funds in the Spring statement.

The projects were variously described as “nationally significant culture projects” and “places in need in Great Britain that were prioritised for funding but had not previously received funding from Levelling Up streams”.

The £10m allocated to National Museums Liverpool (NML) was earmarked to part-fund an ambitious transformation of the waterfront area around the Maritime Museum, and a major redevelopment of the slavery museum.

The project is also being funded by money from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Following the Budget, the government said it was “minded to withdraw the funding” because of the need to save money.

In a statement, NML said it would consult “with colleagues in Government, ensuring the local, national and international significance of this project is understood”.

The statement added: “National Museums Liverpool remains committed to this important and deeply impactful project, which has been years in development and has grown with the collaboration and guidance of many, including our community stakeholders.”

Kim Johnson, the Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, said she was “very concerned” to hear the funding was under review.

She added she would be meeting ministers to discuss the matter which she called “so important, both to Liverpool and internationally”.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “While the Budget announcement on the future of this funding might seem concerning on the face of it, we are aware that there will be a proper consultation, where we can make the case to government that it is an important investment, both for the region and the wider UK economy."

The government said it would consult with the organisations concerned before making a final decision about whether to withdraw funding.