‘Absolute commitment’ to museum service says Council Leader

There is ‘absolute commitment’ to supporting Buxton Museum and Art Gallery and securing the future of the service says Leader of Derbyshire County Council Councillor Barry Lewis.

Derbyshire County Council’s museum and art gallery was temporarily closed on Thursday 1st June 2023 following the discovery of dry rot in structural timbers and floor joists which needs further investigations that cannot be carried out with the building open.

While no timescale has been put on investigation and remedial work, it is likely to take some time to complete, and alternative ways to deliver the service are currently being explored while the work is carried out.

Council Leader Councillor Barry Lewis said today that although temporarily closing the building, which is part of the Peak Buildings complex, was very disappointing, he was determined the museum and its collections would be supported and was working with officers to ensure the future of the service in the longer term would be secured.

Councillor Lewis visited the museum and art gallery in Terrace Road to speak to affected staff earlier this week, assuring them of the council’s commitment to the service.

He said: “Closing the museum and art gallery was a great disappointment but necessary so that this vital investigation work can be carried out. Until this is done we will not know the extent of the issues and what we are facing with regards to the building.

“However, there is an absolute commitment to supporting the museum and securing the long term future of its collections.

“This will not be easy but we will do all we can to protect this valuable asset which has so many benefits to the local community, residents of Derbyshire and much further afield.”

Work is already underway to ensure the safe removal of artifacts and exhibits to suitable storage so that areas can be cleared for the in-depth structural investigations to begin.

Museum staff are working hard behind the scenes with colleagues from across the council to help with this, as well as ensuring the service continues to have a strong presence online.

The temporary closure has led to the cancellation of the annual Open Art Exhibition which was due to open later this month.

While the museum is closed people are being encouraged to go online and visit its main web page at derbyshire.gov.uk/buxtonmuseum which has a selection of information about collections, virtual exhibitions and a regular blog. They can also follow the museum on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for updates.