Consultation on future of Leeds museum launches

Leeds City Council has launched a public consultation on proposals to end its lease on the site of a local heritage museum.

The Thwaite Watermill Museum, which is owned by Canal and River Trust and managed by Leeds Museums and Galleries, told the Yorkshire Evening Post it faces closure if the lease is terminated, as it cannot afford to take over the running of the building.

A consultation, which concludes on 19 January, asks users when they last visited the museum as well as their thoughts on the future of the site and if they think it should be handed back to Canal and River Trust.

Leeds City Council, which is one of dozens of local authorities across the country making severe budget cuts, said that the museum, located on an island in the River Aire, was costly to maintain. 

A council spokesperson said: “Leeds City Council have operated Thwaite Watermill as a heritage attraction since 1990. Although visitor satisfaction is high, the site has always had low visitor figures, with 9,502 having visited Thwaite Watermill in 2022.

“There are high maintenance costs linked to managing historic buildings of this nature, coupled with challenging environmental issues with the site prone to flooding. Finding the funds to maintain Thwaite Watermill has and will continue to be a challenge.”

In December 2023, Leeds Council put forward a raft of cost-cutting measures designed to save £58.4m over the next 12 months, alongside £7.4m of previously agreed savings.