Protest at plan to shut 98-year-old museum

About 150 people have taken part in a protest against the proposed closure of a social history museum in Leeds, which is almost 100 years old.

Last year, Leeds City Council said shutting Abbey House Museum, in Kirkstall, could save the cash-strapped authority £160,000.

Hannah Bithell, a Labour councillor in Kirkstall, said she was "delighted" so many people had joined the rally earlier to show their support for the attraction.

Earlier this week, Salma Arif, executive member for culture at the council, said the closure proposal had "not been taken lightly", adding that "no final decision has been made".

The museum opened in 1927 and features three replica Victorian streets, complete with shops, a pub and houses.

Bithell said she was aware that the council faced "a tough situation" with funding, but urged people to take part in a consultation about the proposal and "get their opinions across".

Dianne Riding, who taught for 43 years, said she had taken hundreds of pupils on trips to the museum.

"It's like travelling through time, it can't be equalled anywhere," she said.

Going to Abbey House had always felt like "an encounter with my past".

She appealed to the council to "think again, allow it to thrive, market it properly and the people will be so grateful".

Another protester, Laura Higgott, said she had been visiting the museum for more than 30 years with her children and then her grandchildren.

"They love it and it reminds us of years gone by. When we heard it was closing we were just devastated," she added.

More than 5,000 people have signed a petition started by campaigner Stuart Long.

"This is a building of national importance, we can't lose it," he said. "Children deserve to see it.

"I want the council to rethink the £160,000 they say it's worth and maybe put more investment into it."

Angela Harrison, a fellow campaigner, described the museum as the "heart and soul" of Kirkstall.

"Take the collections away and they will never be seen again," she said.

In December last year, a spokesperson for Leeds City Council said the authority was facing its "most significant financial challenge ever" and needed to find about £106m in savings.

The budget proposals included fee increases, reduced staffing, building closures and sales, and there had been "difficult decisions" to make, the spokesperson added.

The consultation on the Abbey House Museum closure runs until 25 January.

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