| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Proposed closure of Wandsworth Museum | |
| Posted by: | Jonathan Callaway | |
| Date/Time: | 13/01/07 00:57:00 |
| Reading all Macolm Grimston's comments since my last visit to this thread, only yesterday evening (and how it has grown!) we have learnt a couple of things: - it would cost the 116,750 Wandsworth taxpayers about £3.40 each at Band D to raise the £400,000 p.a. said to be needed - the £2mn he says we have to raise within a few weeks would not be enough anyway - I now see WBC would expect the putative volunteer owners to "pay suitable rent on the premises" on top! (talk about shifting the goalposts, unreasonable as they already are!) - WBC has been thinking about this for months, quietly and of course secretly - with open debate there might have been time to mobilise resources and funding if that is what has to be done to keep this amenity - more and more people are raising concerns about the council's plans. We should all read the second valuable contribution to this discussion by Valerie Bott. I wonder if Malcolm Grimston has. As I have stated before and as others on this thread have noted, we are dealing with a fait accompli here - unless voices are mobilised and not just individuals but organisations even WBC has to listen to all get involved. The Putney Society, we very much hope, will be one such voice, other borough amenity societies too, I would also hope. Is this a suitable case for the Arts Council or another quango, or for those who oversee cultural policies around the country (the Culture Secretay even??) Would the National Lottery be good for some serious input? What does our MP think, having stated that she 'thoroughly enjoyed' visiting the museum? Does Valerie Bott's suggestion that further town centre generation and attendant opportunities for property developers create potential new sources for funding? Will WBC consider merging the museum with West Hill library, and/or the De Morgan Centre? If a "Friends of the Museum" fundraiser is started and is taken seriously enough by WBC to delay closure plans, then I would happily commit money to it. Is WBC open to discussion on this? Will WBC listen, full stop?? I think we all fear this is a fait accompli by a council which does not have to face the electorate until this episode is long forgotten. Just wish I was wrong. |