Museum opening times cut to save money

The museum is jointly run by Ipswich Borough Council and Colchester City Council
- Published
A museum's opening times will be reduced from six days a week to four in an attempt to save cash.
Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich, Suffolk, is run by a joint committee between Ipswich Borough Council and Colchester City Council.
The museum is currently open six days a week, but from 21 April it will only open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Carole Jones, Labour councillor and Ipswich Borough Council portfolio holder for planning and museums, said: "By reducing the opening hours at Christchurch Mansion, the council is able to deliver a balanced budget to deliver essential savings which will help us to manage costs, while maintaining this historic building."
The changes were previously proposed in an Ipswich Borough Council meeting, external, in a bid to reduce subsidy for museums and contribute to the council's saving requirements.
The authority predicted a budget gap of £23.3m over the next four years - an increase of £6.6m from earlier predictions.
It hoped the new hours would deliver a net saving of £43,000 in 2025-26, and a further £86,000 from 2026-27 onwards.
The building alongside The Wolsey Art Gallery, which operates inside the property, is currently free to visitors, but the council has proposed a charge for exhibitions in the gallery.
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