Lead campaigners in the Leather Museum fight say questions still loom over the relocation saga.
Earlier this week, the newly formed Reform cabinet met to scrap the former Tory decision to move the museum.
They also approved to negotiate the surrender of the building’s lease with Walsall College, and approve that the Leather Museum will remain at its current location.
Ahead of the meeting, papers were published which detail the cost of the whole relocation scheme was set to be around the £10m mark. The latest running costs of the existing museum at its original site was £288,000 per year.
Linda Boys, a Walsall resident and newly confirmed magistrate, has persistently scrutinised council leaders and senior officers behind the unpopular decision to move the attraction to 1-3 The Bridge in Walsall town centre.
The previous Conservative administration approved the move in September last year, as well as a 125-lease of the Littleton Street West building to Walsall College for its SEND offering.
The lease between the council and college was signed just two days before the all-out local elections.
Ahead of the local elections Reform UK, Walsall Community Independents and the Green Party all vowed to overturn the decision should they get into power.
Linda claims the council put itself at risk by ‘not including break clauses or protections for policy reversal’.
She said: “I have seen the contract. As far as I can determine, the contract contains no clause dealing with a potential change of administration and the associated risk of a change in position or policy.
“That omission is surprising given the involvement of senior lawyers, financial officers and advisers within the council.
“Such risks should have been considered and addressed in the contract, particularly given the proximity of the election. This is a serious position the council should never have been put in, whoever engineered it.
“While we welcome the recommendations in Mr Brown’s report, our focus is on whether the earlier decision-making process was lawful, properly authorised, and adequately risk-managed.
“In short, the previous Conservative council’s cabinet may have acted beyond its authority, councillors and the public may have received incomplete or inaccurate advice, and a binding contract may have been signed without adequate safeguards.
“The report itself still does not fully confront the legal and governance failings behind the earlier decision.
“It certainly raises questions about how, not just Mr Brown, but other senior officers and former councillors Bird and Andrew have bulldozed this ill-conceived transaction through.
“This matters because any funding allocated to Walsall is of concern to us all. This must never happen again behind closed doors.
“We can’t always get what we each want, but we should be able to trust our councillors and officials to do their jobs properly, and to have scrutiny and challenge welcomed.
“Let’s just hope it can be sorted with some semblance of intelligence, dignity, truth and the respect we all deserve.”
Walsall resident and leather fashion designer, Lauren Broxton, has also led the fight to save Walsall Leather Museum.
She said: “In the wake of everything we have just been through, and I stress the emotional and mental toll this whole saga has placed upon the community, campaigners, but more than anyone, the museum staff team, I think it’s important now to take the time to carefully consider the next steps.
“It now becomes the duty of the administration and campaigners to ensure the long-term protection of the museum against any similar motives in the future.
“We thank all of the support of our amazing campaigners, stakeholders, industry leaders and community who have stood by us throughout this gruelling campaign.
“We could not have done this without them and only ask that they stay vigilant as we navigate this crucial development and the inevitable challenges that will come with it.”
Councillor Adrian Andrew was the former deputy leader of Walsall Council at the time the relocaton was approved.
Now the leader of the 10-strong Conservative group at the authority, he said Reform’s reversal of the plan is a ‘huge opportunity lost’.
Councillor Andrew said: “Our administration had a vision for a new museum reflecting the whole borough and the communities that make up the place that we call home.
“Our plan was not to close the museum but to enhance the offer by moving it to the town centre site, reflecting other parts of the borough as well as the leather industry.
“This in turn would have created an enhanced SEND provision for the college as part of their main campus in Walsall.
“On reflection this vision was perhaps not articulated by the council and the administration as well as it could have been and now, with this reversal, a huge opportunity has been lost.”
Councillor Matt Eason, portfolio holder for culture, health and wellbeing at Walsall Council, said: “The report recommends that the museum remains at its historic home on Littleton Street West, recognising its significant cultural importance and the strong role it plays in supporting the borough’s identity and visitor economy.
“The building itself forms an integral part of the heritage offer, providing authenticity, historical context and a distinctive visitor experience that cannot easily be replicated elsewhere.
“The Reform administration is also mindful of the passionate local and wider support for maintaining the museum at the Littleton Street site, and is committed to securing its long-term future by working constructively with Walsall College and partners, exploring external funding opportunities and reinvesting in the museum offer.
“The recommendation to keep the Leather Museum in its current location follows a review of the available options, associated costs and community feedback.
“Council officers will continue to provide professional advice to support member decision-making and will implement any decisions made through the council’s democratic processes.”
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