Museum may be forced to close if Council proposals go ahead
16/12/2025
Grants from Cherwell have been reducing over a number of years
Banbury Museum could be forced to close permanently if Cherwell District Council goes ahead with a plan to cease providing funding for the venue.
The Trust which operates the museum has issued that warning after it became clear that the Council is considering saving money by cutting grants to the museum, as highlighted in its current budget consultation.
Here, it suggests Banbury Museum should be helped “to transition to a new operating model of sustainable funding sources by 2027/28, reducing its dependency on council grant funding”.
In October the Museum was awarded £590,104 from the Council over two years, but that amount was £145,000 less than the museum had received in the past.
Reductions in financial support for the Museum began under the Council’s previous Conservative administration. The current Liberal Democrat group choosing to follow the same path.
At a meeting in October Councillor Rob Pattenden said the grant supported the council’s belief that access to culture was a cornerstone of a healthy, resilient and connected community. But he added that the Museum needed to become a commercially successful operation which “washed its own face” financially.
The Museum says it only learned about funding from the council ceasing through the budget consultation.
In a statement they noted: “If this proposal goes ahead, it will mean that the Banbury Museum Trust, the charity that oversees the museum will be forced to consider closing the doors of the museum. Banbury Museum & Gallery welcomes 100,000 visits each year. Without this core funding we could not continue to serve our community, display local collections, offer exhibitions, events, and educational experiences that thousands of people engage with.
“Whilst we anticipated that the proposed shake up of local government would bring changes to the way that we work, the immediateness of this proposal and lack of guidance from the Cherwell District Council now leaves us facing an incredibly difficult decision.”
The museum is urging people to complete the budget consultation, which closes on Friday, expressing their concerns over the move.
In response to the news Banbury’s MP, Sean Woodcock, has started a petition, calling on Cherwell District Council to find alternative funding to keep Banbury Museum open.
He said: “It would be a huge loss for the community if Banbury Museum were to close, due to Cherwell District Council ceasing to provide funding. It would end the provision of local collections, exhibitions, events and educational experiences that people in the town are currently able to engage with.
“I am calling on Cherwell District Council to reconsider these proposals, and ensure Banbury Museum can stay open for the benefit of local people.
“I would urge people to sign my petition, and also to respond to Cherwell District Council’s public consultation opposing the cuts to funding, to ensure local voices are heard and can be considered by the Council.”
The Museum has operated as an independent trust since 2013 and maintains full Arts Council accreditation.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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