Agenda item

Review of Museums Service

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Clifford)

 

Report of Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning)

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 in appropriate space

 

A more vibrant and engaging museums service with the potential to considerably increase footfall at the City Museum and through exhibitions and events in other locations

 

Improved links with other heritage buildings in Lancaster plus existing spaces in Morecambe and the coastal area

 

Increased potential to engage external funders as this approach safeguards collections and offers long term strategic change

Loss of Maritime and Cottage Museums

 

Temporary interruption to the museums service in order to undertake works required

 

Need to identify capital costs for injection of investment and have confidence about potential income generation.

Legal and HR risks – implications relating to the current management arrangements and in respect of County Council staff need to be clarified and managed

 

No certainty regarding outcome of feasibility, including affordability and sustainability.

 

Risk of abortive feasibility costs.

 

The Officer Preferred Option is Option 4, which enables the Council to investigate whether there is a long term strategic approach to delivery of the museums service; safeguards and protects the existing collections; improves engagement with visitors and communities; and creates opportunities to generate income and therefore reduce net costs.  It fits with the actions approved at Budget Council.

 

The current museums service is structured in a way that is inevitably expensive and yet under achieves, in certain respects.  The City Council’s budget pressures mean that it is more important than ever that services are cost effective and, as far as possible, financially sustainable.  Lancashire County Council which manages the Council’s museums service, has recently announced a number of major changes that potentially have implications for future arrangements. 

 

As part of its own budget process the City Council has agreed to review the museums service. An initial high level review of headline options has now been undertaken to provide Cabinet with an outline proposal that has both challenges and opportunities.  The opportunity to reduce the cost base at the same time as improving and revitalising the museums service and potentially increasing both footfall and income is highlighted in this report.  Further feasibility work, design and costings are required to test the proposals more fully to establish that they offer the long term benefits anticipated.

 

  Councillor Clifford proposed, seconded by Councillor Leytham:-

 

“That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

 

Councillors then voted:-

 

Resolved unanimously:

 

(1)             That the opportunity for a complete redesign of the museums service is  developed and tested with a view to reducing overall costs, improving the care of collections, improving quality of service and increasing footfall and income;

(2)             That further feasibility work is undertaken to provide information on each of the proposed elements of the strategy, as detailed in the report;

(3)             That a more detailed review of longer term management options is undertaken but that, in the meantime, the City Council requests that the two year notice period, as detailed in the existing Museums Service Partnership Agreement, is reduced to one year;

(4)             That the Chief Officer (Resources) be authorised to allocate up to a maximum of £138.5K from the Restructuring (Budget Support) Reserve in 2016/17 following the procurement of appropriate consultants / museum specialists and that the General Fund Revenue Budget be updated accordingly.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

 

Chief Officer (Regeneration & Planning)

Chief Officer (Resources)

 

Reasons for making the decision:

 

The decision supports the Council’s Corporate Priorities of Sustainable Economic Growth and Community Leadership, contributing to the attractiveness and offer of the district, as a place to visit or invest in; rationalising the Council’s property portfolio to deliver better value for money; and improving efficiency and effectiveness through re-shaping services. 

Supporting documents: