Leather Museum's listed status 'won't affect move'

A new home for Walsall's Leather Museum has been announced on the same day its current site is granted Grade II listed status, raising fresh questions about the move.

Campaigners have been fighting to keep the museum at its Victorian building on Littleton Street West, with a petition to stop a change of location gaining more than 4,000 signatures.

The council, however, has purchased a new home for the set-up - announcing on Thursday a town centre location at 1-3 The Bridge, between High Street and the Leather Skills Centre.

Walsall Council's leader said the new site, though not dedicated solely to leather, would increase visitor numbers, and listed status for the original did not affect plans.

Mike Bird, Conservative, told BBC WM the new site would work as "a Walsall museum" and contain "artefacts including leather".

He said: "It will bring footfall to the town and we will be using the upper floors for other purposes, for children and children's services."

In Historic England's decision notice for granting listed status, the organisation said the original leather museum building, dating back to 1891, "illustrated Walsall's leather industry at its height".

The body described the site as being of "historic and architectural interest", and was of "particular significance".

Listed status there means there are now limits as to what changes can be made.

Walsall Council approved plans in September 2025 to close the museum and relocate it, with cabinet members giving permission for Walsall College to use the Littleton Street West building for its SEND provision.

When challenged on a previous comment that the current museum site had "no heritage at all", Bird said of Historic England's listing: "That's their opinion."

He added: "It might be heritage to them but at the end of the day it's an old factory, simple as that.

"The people of Walsall certainly have made their views known, but at the end of the day, the petition that was presented… only 600 [signatories] were from Walsall.

"And if you look at the visitor figures last year only 14,000 people visited which was half of what used to be there."

Campaigner Lauren Broxton called for the costs of the relocation, refit and long-term running costs to be made clear.

She said the move represented "a colossal mishandling of our definitive cultural heritage".

Bird said he was "100%" confident about the success of the new museum site.

The application for listed status was submitted by chair of Aldridge-Brownhills Reform UK branch Nicky Barker.

"I'm delighted that this important piece of Walsall's heritage has been protected," Barker said, describing it as a "huge victory" for the community.

A spokesperson for Historic England said the application to list the former Withers and Son and Samuel Llewellen leather works buildings was received last November

"We recommended listing the buildings at Grade II due to their historic and architectural interest," Historic England said. "Leather working is strongly associated with Walsall, and the town is still a major centre for the industry.

"The workshops on Wisemore are among a very small group of such buildings of this date surviving in Walsall, and so are of particular significance for the town as they embody the industry that played a major part in the lives of many local people."

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport had agreed with the body's advice, the spokesperson added.

Any work on the building will now require special consent from the council before proceeding.

The Leather Museum's final day of opening at the current site would be 11 April, the council confirmed.

It added there would be no mandatory redundancies, with staff redeployed during a transition period.

Councillor Gary Flint, portfolio holder for culture, health and wellbeing said: "We know some residents may have concerns about the relocation, but we want to reassure them that their museum will continue to play an important role in Walsall's future."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.