Local authority support has been ruled out to save the Museum of Carpet from closure.
Cllr Marcus Hart, Wyre Forest District Council leader says the authority is ‘saddened to hear’ that the Kidderminster museum is set to close on 20 December but is unable to offer any support.
He says the ‘council is committed to preserving heritage’ across the district and would raise the issue at a full council meeting on 10 December. ‘I will be raising a motion about the carpet museum. In it, I will state that although the council cannot offer long-term or short-term revenue support, we remain committed to helping in other ways, including exploring whether any of our historic council buildings could display some of the archives.
‘I am delighted to be meeting with representatives from the Museum of Carpet to discuss these possibilities further. I will also be calling on Kidderminster Town Council to see what they are able to do to support the museum, in particular if any artefacts could be displayed at the town hall.’
Museum trustees have described continuing at its current site as ‘unsustainable,’ 13 years after it opened in the town.
A second planned motion will express ‘sincere regret’ at the closure plan while recognising the work of the volunteers, staff, partners and community groups. It will call for the museum’s collection to remain accessible to the public and to consider other suitable venues for keeping and displaying the collection.
