Museum opening times cut to save money

A museum's opening times will be reduced from six days a week to four in an attempt to save cash.

Christchurch Mansion in Ipswich, Suffolk, is run by a joint committee between Ipswich Borough Council and Colchester City Council.

The museum is currently open six days a week, but from 21 April it will only open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Carole Jones, Labour councillor and Ipswich Borough Council portfolio holder for planning and museums, said: "By reducing the opening hours at Christchurch Mansion, the council is able to deliver a balanced budget to deliver essential savings which will help us to manage costs, while maintaining this historic building."

The changes were previously proposed in an Ipswich Borough Council meeting, in a bid to reduce subsidy for museums and contribute to the council's saving requirements.

The authority predicted a budget gap of £23.3m over the next four years - an increase of £6.6m from earlier predictions.

It hoped the new hours would deliver a net saving of £43,000 in 2025-26, and a further £86,000 from 2026-27 onwards.

The building alongside The Wolsey Art Gallery, which operates inside the property, is currently free to visitors, but the council has proposed a charge for exhibitions in the gallery.

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