Archived decisions

REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE MEMBER

RECREATION AND HERITAGE

PART II

MUSEUMS STRATEGY

1. A strategy paper has been prepared which summarises how and why the County Council supports museums with the aim of addressing issues at a level that directly relates to County Council decisions in a short to medium term timescale as well as contributing to the cultural strategy. It has the particular aim of bringing clarity to museum policy at a time when the County Council is undergoing a rapid process of corporate change.

2. The strategy shows how support for museums is related to wider County Council corporate policies, clarifies from which budget support has been provided, outlines the main categories of museums supported by the County Council and suggests how the policy should be developed. In particular it is stressed that museum development would be achieved through seizing opportunities, partnerships and maximising external funding and that the preservation, care and provision of access to valuable heritage assets will remain a high priority for the County Council. Particular attention is drawn to the aim of widening and deepening access through lifelong learning and personal development, access by the rural population, community identity, services for younger people and the role of new technology.

3. The County Council directly manages 19 museums with many of these being operated through joint management agreements with district councils and some with trusts. The general position is that the County Council is the lead authority for local authority museums in Hampshire and provides most of their funding and takes responsibility for their professional management this being the primary work of the Museums Service of the County Council. In addition to these museums there are also defence heritage museums and non-military special interest museums (such as Gilbert White's house and Jane Austin's house).

4. Particular attention is drawn in the strategy to the nomination of the museums service to lead the South East Region Museum Hub in accordance with a report produced by the Council for Museums, Libraries and Archives. This is an important recognition of the potential of the County Museums Service to lead the coordination of new resources to museums in the region pending Government support for the regional museum structure.

5. The strategy has been welcomed and approved as the basis for developing museum policy within the overall cultural strategy of Hampshire County Council.

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