Previously, the museum was the Old Grammar School building, which played a key role in the local community since its construction in 1901 and has provided cultural and education services in the area for almost 120 years.
The building is located on Gosport High Street, which is well-served with cycle routes and is pedestrian-friendly. However, after a routine structural inspection, several issues were found with the exterior fabric on the west side.
For that reason, Hampshire County Council has submitted a planning application to urgently repair the walls.
Significant corrosion and failure of cavity wall ties in five locations, evidenced by cracking of mortar joints, were identified. Important corrosion and failure of window and door frame ties into cavity brickwork were also spotted at three locations.
The council also found a decay of the bottom section of painted timber window frames in at least two locations.
If approved, works will focus on opening the cavities at the base of the walls to treat them and remove any existing debris blockages.
Drill holes for remedial tie installation and blow out with compressed air to remove residual dust from the holes.
The council will also replace the corroded wall and window frame ties and repoint cracked brickwork to external elevations on various building parts. It will introduce auto-mixed injected resin into inner leaf drill holes and install new stainless steel wall ties into the same, allowing the resin to cure.
Recently, the museum has undergone improvement, which increased accessibility for disabled visitors. This includes adding the glazed link between the main entrance and gallery, sculpture park, café bar, new toilets, refurbishment of SEARCH school educational facilities, new toilets, and a Changing Places toilet facility.
Since November 2014, Hampshire Cultural Trust has run the building as part of its SEARCH initiative, providing educational facilities as part of the nearby Discovery Centre’s offer.
In 2020, the Hampshire Cultural Trust began a project to redevelop Gosport Old Grammar School into Gosport Museum and Art Gallery (GMAG) to create a “vibrant” community hub.