5 Review of Museums Service PDF 407 KB
(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Clifford)
Report of Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning)
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Minutes:
(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Clifford)
Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning) to advise Cabinet on the findings of a high level review of the current museums service and seek guidance on the overall strategy and actions which members might wish to pursue to develop a more sustainable museums service for the future.
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:
|
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
Risks |
Option 1: Close all museums |
Significant revenue savings
Potential capital receipts and revenue income from the existing buildings
|
Museums service ceases to exist
Negative impact on quality of life in the district through the loss of community, education and visitor services
Negative impact on the visitor economy
Strongly undermines Lancaster’s national status as a heritage city
Reputational damage for the Council in terms of funders, partners and the community
Transfer of part or all of the museums service into a different delivery vehicle once the service has closed down
No alternative provider currently available
|
Legal risk - current management agreement requires two years notice
Delivery risk - no clear solutions for the disposal of valuable collections although the Council has the responsibility to safeguard these. All options would have cost and resource requirements
|
Option 2: Continue with current arrangements (Do Nothing)
|
Continues to provide a museums service for the district |
Ongoing revenue costs are high and likely to increase
Existing museums are underperforming in terms of footfall and income and do not therefore achieve optimum results for economic impact or improved financial sustainability
Collections management arrangements are expensive and inadequate
Current displays/ exhibitions urgently require investment to refresh and present to today’s audiences
|
Delivery risk - maintaining a status quo situation for management arrangements seems unlikely to be a long term option due to imminent changes within Lancashire County Council’s museums service
Financial risk - the City Council’s budgets face ongoing pressure over the next few years |
Option 3: Undertake a range of small scale changes |
Some small improvements could improve footfall and income to a limited extent
|
Ongoing revenue costs are high and likely to increase
Very limited opportunity to increase income or gain capital receipts
Investment required to deliver small scale changes although the business case to invest in some elements of the current museums service is weak
Less likely to attract external funding
Limited potential to achieve significant benefits
Will not future proof the museums service for the long term |
Without significant change the ability to increase footfall might be impeded as the overall impression could be that nothing has really changed.
|
Option 4: Investigate the feasibility of complete redesign of museums service
|
Potential to significantly reduce ongoing revenue and repairs and maintenance costs by the reduction in the number of museum buildings
Likely to produce capital receipts or revenue income from buildings no longer required as museums
Potential increase in income from ancillary services
Improved long term arrangements for the care and management of collections ... view the full minutes text for item 5 |