The Williamson Art Gallery and Museum, one of Wirral’s cultural icons, will close down for a short period from today.
The Oxton attraction, which had been up for the axe, was saved in this year’s Wirral Council budget after an outcry from councillors and residents alike.
At a council committee meeting earlier this year, Cllr Jerry Williams said the gallery was a “focal point” of the Liverpool City Region’s tourist offering and was something which could raise income for the City Region economy.
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The Labour councillor pointed out that the council had spent “a fortune” upgrading the Williamson’s lighting, only to now be considering closing the “jewel in the crown” of local culture.
Similarly, Liberal Democrat councillor Allan Brame, who represents Oxton, said he has had more letters and emails on this subject than any other in his time as a councillor.
He said the Williamson was not just about art.
For Cllr Brame, it was a place in which people found solace and relaxation, it had a popular cafe service and a broader offering beyond its function as an art gallery and a museum.
The local authority has now decided to close the gallery on a short-term basis to allow for emergency engineering works to take place.
Wirral Council said the work is necessary to improve existing ventilation and air flow throughout the building and that it was identified this week during ongoing safety inspections.
While the work is going on, The Williamson will be closed as a precautionary measure expected to last around one week.
But even when it reopens to the public, visitor numbers will continue to be limited while further investigatory works - and any associated repairs - are carried out.
Once these tasks have been completed unrestricted access will be allowed once again.
