Peterborough Museum and heritage plan puts funding at risk - civic group

A new company could take over the running of the Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, on Priestgate, by the end of the year

The future of a city museum was "in danger" if the local authority set up a new body to run it, a civic society said.

The city council has proposed setting up a non-profit company to run Peterborough Museum, Flag Fen and its libraries until 2029.

Peterborough Civic Society feared the services could lose out on funding.

The Tory-led council said it would save £2m at a time of budget deficits and it was "not selling the family jewels".

Vivacity, a charitable organisation, was running those leisure services, until it handed the contract back in 2020 citing financial difficulties.

Last year, Peterborough Limited, the council's subsidiary firm, was given responsibility to look after them.

Rob Hill, one of the council officers who worked on the latest plans, said: "Since the demise of the Vivacity and the rising cost of utilities, we don't have sufficient funds to maintain the service as it is.

"Moving the services into the subsidiary will allow us the opportunity to bring costs down, secure best value and ultimately avoid having to close any of these services down in the future."

Flag Fen Archaeological Park, a site of Bronze Age settlement on the eastern edge of the city, could also be in danger of losing out on funding, Peterborough Civic Society said

But the plans have come under fire from opposition councillors and the Peterborough Civic Society.

Toby Wood, chairman of the society, feared "the museum could potentially lose out on funding... we think the new proposed governance model might not meet the national museum standards".

"We have written to the leader of the council asking to pause this plan but we are not being listened to," he said.

"There's anger and concern the city could be left without any culture venues."

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Conservative council leader Wayne Fitzgerald defended the plans at a cabinet meeting this week and said: "We do take the provision of leisure, culture, heritage and libraries seriously."

Steve Allen, deputy leader at the council, said: "The company will now be set up and is expected to be in a position to takeover the venues by the end of the year.

"We are not selling the family jewels. We are fully committed to securing a strong cultural and leisure heritage offer."