Fears for future of Buxton Museum as council confirms building sale

Campaigners are seeking reassurances on the future of Buxton Museum & Art Gallery after Derbyshire County Council confirmed that the Peak Buildings complex that houses the institution is to be sold off.

The museum was closed abruptly in June 2023 after assessments revealed structural issues caused by dry rot, making parts of the historic building potentially unsafe.

According to the council, further investigation confirmed that the building is no longer viable due to “the potential costs and length of time which could be needed for us to bring the building back into use as a modern day museum”.

Council leader Barry Lewis said last week that the council had “been left with no choice but to reluctantly relocate the council-run museum and art gallery from the town’s Peak Buildings complex following ongoing building assessments”.

Lewis said: “While extremely sad for everyone connected to the museum in its present home, it is with great reluctance that we have to confirm it is no longer viable for the museum to operate from the Peak Buildings and a new location must be secured.”

Lewis said that work would begin immediately to move all artefacts, displays and artwork from the building. “When this is completed the building will be put up for sale,” he said.

“It would be far better for the building and town if the building was sold to a buyer who could invest in it and bring it back up to a high standard,” added Lewis. “This would be out of our reach as a local authority and this way we would be able to retain the sale price and re-invest in the museum when we find a new and appropriate location.”

Lewis said the council remains “fully committed to supporting the museum service and ensuring its future in Buxton for the long term”.

He added that the council was determined to “see the collections displayed locally as soon as possible and plans are currently being developed for a museum service to run in the interim period before the long-term solution is secured”.

A campaign to save the museum is gathering pace. Supporters of the institution have been encouraged to attend a public show of solidarity at 11am on Saturday 8 June outside the museum building.

Campaigners say many questions remain over the closure of the building and the council’s commitment to its museum service. The council announced last year that it was facing a £46m deficit, since reduced to £33m, and has cut or fully withdrawn funding to other heritage sites it manages.

A statement from the campaigners said: “The lack of information has raised questions and fears that Buxton Museum & Art Gallery as we know it will be significantly reduced or scrapped altogether […]

“This event [on 8 June] reflects concerns that the closure, coinciding with Derbyshire County Council’s significant budget deficit and subsequent spending freeze in September 2023, will make it particularly challenging to resolve. The public event aims to highlight the scale of passion that the local community feel for Buxton Museum & Art Gallery and the valuable contribution that it has made to education, tourism, and cultural expression over the years.”

The local business group Vision Buxton and We Are Buxton Community Forum launched a petition in March that has gathered nearly 5,000 signatures.

Roddie MacLean, the chairman of Vision Buxton, said: “The gathering on 8 June will further help demonstrate the depth of feeling within the community and their frustration at the apparent lack of progress by the county council.”

The council says it aims to ensure the 40,000-strong collection remains as accessible as possible while a long-term solution is found, and is planning a series of pop up displays and events across the county, as well as an ongoing online presence.

Buxton Library will be used to house some displays, while discussions are also underway with local heritage partners and the National Stone Centre in Wirksworth. The council says it is also exploring the possibility of using the museum’s Boyd Dawkins Study Room at County Hall for a period of time.

Lewis said: “We are fully aware of the importance of the museum and art gallery in Buxton and the very high regard with which it is held by residents, visitors, businesses and groups, as well as regionally and nationally. We share the passion people have for it and continue to explore every avenue we can to secure a long-term solution.

“It’s not straightforward and was never going to happen overnight, but we’re hard at work and have been engaging with partners, including very positive discussions with High Peak Borough Council, on a range of options. I am urging local groups to fully engage and work with us on this challenge and look forward to discussions with representatives in the coming weeks so that positive solutions can be found.”

The council is currently recruiting for a new museum manager and assistant collections officer. It says details of the sale of the building will be announced when they are finalised over the coming months.

Buxton Museum & Art Gallery has been in the Peak Buildings since 1928. The museum underwent a significant refurbishment in 2017 with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England, the Bingham Trust, the Wolfson Foundation, the Paul Mellon Centre and the local council.