Trouble at mill to end as Queen Street Textile Museum receives lifeline

Burnley's under-threat Queen Street Mill Textile Museum could remain open after a private organisation expressed an interest in running it.
Queen Street Mill in Briercliffe.Queen Street Mill in Briercliffe.
Queen Street Mill in Briercliffe.

Lancashire County Council has announced that detailed negotiations will continue with four organisations which have applied to take over the Briercliffe museum and four others that the council can no longer afford to fund.

The decision came after interested organisations were asked to submit detailed business plans for the future operation of the museums.

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County Coun. Marcus Johnstone, cabinet member for environment, planning and cultural services, said: “This is extremely good news for the future of these museums. There is still a lot of work to do but it is very encouraging to see such robust and well-thought-through business plans.

“In an ideal world we would not have been forced into this position but as we no longer have the funding to keep these cultural resources open. We can at least do a thorough job to ensure they have a future.”

As negotiations are still under way, the county council is not naming those organisations which have applied to take over the running of the five museums.

The museums will close to the public on September 30th while negotiations continue. Maintenance plans will be put in place to ensure that they are preserved properly until transfers are made by the end of the year.