THE BUILDING that used to house Bromsgrove Museum has been officially listed as an asset of community value after a meeting of the district council’s cabinet on Wednesday (June 4).
And, following the decision taken by members, The Friends of the Norton Collection Charitable Trust which lodged the application and which owns the historical Bromsgrove artefacts will have six weeks to declare it wants to buy the building at market value – £200,000.
After that, it will have four months and two weeks (six months in total) to find the funds.
Dennis Norton, one of the trustees of The Friends of the Norton Collection Charitable Trust, confirmed the organisation would be signalling its intention to buy the building and said: “We are happy with that – it is a step in the right direction.”
He added the trust would be setting up a meeting before launching a fund-raising campaign.
He also said the organisation was keen to improve the building’s disabled access and expand the section of the building devoted to the Bromsgrove Guild.
Bromsgrove District Council closed the museum in 2008 due to low visitor numbers and the building has remained empty ever since.
In April 2011 the cabinet gave the trust the chance to buy the building for £285,000 but no agreement could be reached.
The trustees of The Norton Collection Museum Trust announced plans in February of its intention to buy Steps House, St John’s Street, but, after being unsuccessful, has turned its attention back to the original Bromsgrove Museum building in Birmingham Road.
