Council cuts: 'Charging for museum will harm city's cultural heritage'
HISTORIANS and heritage groups have attacked plans to bring in admission fees at Stoke-on-Trent's biggest museum.
Cash-strapped Stoke-on-Trent City Council has drawn up plans to start charging for entry to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, in Hanley.
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The museum, which houses one of the UK's finest ceramics collections, and will be home to part of the £3 million Staffordshire Hoard, has always been free to visit.
But the admission fees are being considered as part of a host of measures to help the authority cut spending by up to £33 million from April.
The proposal comes despite an impact assessment which forecasts that up to 70 per cent of visitors would stop using the museum if they had to pay.
The report said 43 per cent of visitors are from low-income households, compared to the national average of 29 per cent.
Tristram Hunt, MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central and a prominent historian and broadcaster, is convinced entry fees would inflict a devastating blow on the city's culture and heritage.
He said: "The city's history is one of its greatest assets, and while I don't feel that we exploit that to the full, I certainly don't think the easy option of slapping admission charges on the Potteries Museum is the solution.
"It would perhaps be understandable to charge for entry to special exhibitions, as other museums and galleries do.
"But the Potteries Museum will be at the centre of Hanley's regeneration and I would be very worried by any blanket charge for entry."
In 2009/10, 202,634 people visited the museum with 50,000 of visits attributed to the city acquiring part of the Staffordshire Hoard for display. The target was 140,748 visitors.
This compares with 138,000 visitors the previous year.
Maureen Thomas, of the Stoke-on-Trent Archaeological Society, said she was appalled by the proposal.
She said: "I think it's absolutely disgraceful that the council is proposing to charge people to go to the museum.
"It is so important that young people in particular get to experience museums and I know a lot of work goes into attracting children into the Potteries Museum
"With so little industry left in the city, we should be using tourism to entice people to this area, but if they have to pay it will them off.
"All of the exhibits in the museum really belong to the city, so it doesn't seem fair to charge people to see them.
"I know the museum is expensive to run, but there must be other ways the council can save money."
Burslem-based historian and Sentinel columnist Fred Hughes said: "The idea of charging for entry to the Potteries Museum is outrageous. It is the principal public learning centre in our city, not just for academics and visitors, but for our local children.
"If we start charging for access to that then we may as well shut the doors now."
Labour council leader Councillor Mohammed Pervez said he has no wish to impose charges but warned it may have to happen because of the funding cuts.
He said: "We need to start thinking about how we can generate income.
"We have been delivering services while we could when our circumstances were financially sound. But now the budget is getting tighter we need to take some very tough decisions.
"It is very much about biting the bullet and asking what the council should be in the business of providing."
9 Comments
by mikefire1, neckend
Tuesday, November 09 2010, 9:44AM
“Cultural Heritage? Thats exactly what it is, a thing inherited . You will have difficulty finding,any manifestations of culture in S-O-T present day. must be a few, who raise their heads above the parapet at the risk of ridicule.Now if you want an example of the things that represent present day, you only have to refer to "yobs",of these we have plenty.No need to go to the museum to see these, they are all over the place, they are the ones that distinguish themselves by attacking, elderly people, randomly vandalise, and recently, attacking the fire fighters. to be hoped that they don't need the services of them ,as is likely.
Their are those, who put it down to ," seeing others who have more than them".By this I think they mean in monetary terms,, still no justification. The people that have "more than them" have more brains, more decency, more conscience, more pride, not only in themselves, but in their attitude to the world in general.
Charge for entrance to the museums you effectively cut off one avenue of culture, in a desert of mediocrity. It also leaves the library as the only place to go to for a warm.”
by shaun, bentilee
Tuesday, November 09 2010, 1:59AM
“since when have the so called leaders of this once great industrial city shown any interest in it`s cultural heritage. Every time i drive around the once thriving communities centered around the pottery and mining industries , my heart saddens at the rubble and derelict shells that were once the soul and prosperity of a great city . The heritage has been ignored,under resourced or just totally demolished,with little or no regard for the great people who made this city both past and present. How many of the current so called leaders,both local and national, were even present or felt the heartbeat of stoke in it`s prime ?? If we need to contribute to a great museum , which its self sits on a site of a once thriving pottery works , then so be it . But it`s about time the people of this city remembered their own lost heritage that previous generations sweat blood to build and take it back . There is still pride in the great people of stoke , but how much more do they deserve to endure . Lions and donkeys springs readily to mind .”
by Alan, Lightwood
Tuesday, November 09 2010, 1:49AM
“At a time when we are told that we need to make cuts what does our Council do - they set on more top level management. An assistant Director - Adult Social Care who has vowed to support vulnerable adults in the city - clearly off message with the rest of the council who seem hell bent on doing the opposite by cutting services to our most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of our society. I must admit that when I heard that they were also going to appoint a Director of Place I had a really good laugh until I found out it was true. Another example of a top non-job for the boys.This council disgusts me and come next May we really do need to sort it out.”
by David, Fenton
Monday, November 08 2010, 3:28PM
“Quite right Gary. Lets vote these oiks out at the next general election and replace them with Genuine Unhappy Members of the People from our local area who are prepared to stand and be counted because they care about there community. Not those who just want to make a fast buck out of its residents.”
by KB, Lightwood
Monday, November 08 2010, 3:28PM
“Its very sad, theres going to be alot of changes to the city with alot of services with the cuts across the country, I have the Museum Passport - is that going to be affected too ???? I don't think I will renew my pass this time when it runs out. I have also heard that Ford Green Hall is going private so that may put struck off the Passport.”
by Gary Elsby, Baddeley Green
Monday, November 08 2010, 12:25PM
“If it is so wrong to charge for something that is currently free, then vote out those that are doing this.
This isn't hard, it's very simple.”
by Ian, Fegg Hayes
Monday, November 08 2010, 11:34AM
“I'LL bet Maureen Thomas and Fred Hughes have made use over the years of the free facilities offered by the Potteries Museum so stop moaning about a pending admission charge, it's long overdue for whats on offer.
If your so worried about this join their Passport Scheme and for a one off payment you can get admission to all the Citys Museums for a whole year, that what the rest of us Stoke on Trent residents have to do.”
by Peter, Bucknall
Monday, November 08 2010, 10:48AM
“So the council want to charge people to go into the museum.
Why don't the big cheifes drop their salary by 20% then they can keep free admission to the museum.
I go there once a month to see the Potteries heritage that was.
If they start making people pay for admission, I think it will colse down.
So keep it free you get enough money from the car parks.”
by Matt, Tunstall
Monday, November 08 2010, 10:23AM
“It cost me enough to park to visit the Potteries Museum this weekend, I'll not have enough cash for my casual visits.”