Lowestoft Museum trustees outline concerns overs new parish and town council plans
Lowestoft Museum. PHOTO: Nick Butcher - Credit: Nick Butcher
Lowestoft Museum trustees have written to Waveney District Council outlining their concerns over proposals to transfer the museum building and some of its collection to new parish and town councils from April.
Under district council plans, Broads House is to be transferred to the new Oulton Broad Parish Council.
Malcolm Berridge, chairman of the museum's trustees, said he understood the district council's collection of Lowestoft porcelain, which is currently on loan to the museum, would be transferred to the new Lowestoft Town Council at the same time.
At their last meeting, the trustees agreed to write to Richard Alexander, Waveney's service manager, outlining their concerns for the future.
Mr Berridge stressed that the trustees were not opposed to the new councils but added they were keen to work with the two groups to ensure the future of the museum and its collection.
He said: 'We want to go forward in a positive way. If we can look at discussing things during this period of 12 months we will be happy to proceed in that way. If they don't meet us round the table we will have to reflect further.'
He added: 'We have to watch this carefully. We are not being complacent. We are not speaking against the proposals provided that we, in general terms, are able to continue as we have been doing.'
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The museum is run by volunteers and funded through donations and sales from its shop.
Mr Berridge said that he hoped the new councils would not impose any changes on the museum that would have significant financial implications.
He added: 'It is important that Lowestoft porcelain is looked after and displayed properly. It is Lowestoft heritage and history.
'Also our new landlords are going to be Oulton Broad Parish Council and again we hope that they will continue to let us have Broads House for the purposes of providing a museum service.'
Plans to create Oulton Broad Parish Council and Lowestoft Town Council were confirmed in January. Waveney District Council plans to transfer some of its assets to the new bodies when they launch in April.
