'Shock' as museum's funding faces consultation

A museum's management have said they were "shocked" and "appalled" to learn of a council consultation into whether the attraction's grant funding should be cut.

Banbury Museum & Gallery receives about 100,000 visits each year to view its local displays and exhibitions, but staff said it could be forced to shut if proposals go ahead.

Director Simon Townsend said: "It will bring to a close 85 years of Banbury Museum & Gallery at the heart of our community."

A spokesperson for Cherwell District Council said no final decisions had been made.

The authority's 2026/27 budget consultation is aiming to save £1.79m.

In its foreword, leader David Hingley said national funding was "likely to be substantially reduced".

He said the council was working on a "responsible and forward-thinking plan" to balance the budget while safeguarding services.

The council has proposed a new operating model for the museum, which it said could provide a saving of £258,000 in 2027/28.

But in a statement the museum said the planned change would lead to it being forced to close "prior to the 2027/28 financial year".

"Whilst we anticipated that the proposed shake up of local government would bring changes to the way that we work, the immediateness of this proposal and lack of guidance from the Cherwell District Council now leaves us facing an incredibly difficult decision," it added.

MP for Banbury Sean Woodcock, who has started a petition calling on the council to find alternative funding to keep the museum open, said its closure would be a "huge loss for the community".

"It would end the provision of local collections, exhibitions, events and educational experiences that people in the town are currently able to engage with," he said.

A council spokesperson said: "The council is committed to working closely with Banbury Museum in the future so that, if a decision to remove grant funding for 2027/28 is made, we can support it in shifting to a sustainable alternative funding model.

"We will be carefully reading through all responses to our budget consultation before finalising the proposals ahead of further consideration by the council's executive and the final decision, expected at the full council meeting on 23 February."

Lisa Gale, manager of the Vale & Downland Museum in Wantage, described Banbury Museum's predicament as "not good news".

"The museum sector is struggling a lot at the moment, and we are feeling the effects here, even though we offer free entry," she said.

"It's the rising costs that are so difficult to manage without significant increase in income... it's really important that this situation is raised so people use museums and they aren't lost."

Oxford City Council recently voted to introduce an entrance fee to visitors at the Museum of Oxford from January next year.

The Cherwell District Council consultation closes on Friday.

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