Three of the country's most prominent cultural organisations have urged Birmingham City Council not to sell off its “precious” heritage assets to rescue itself from insolvency.
The move comes after the local authority announced it was facing a budget shortfall of £87.4m for 2023-24, rising to £164.8m for 2024-25, stemming in part from a historic equal pay claim bill. The council issued a section 114 notice last month, effectively declaring itself bankrupt and leading to speculation that cultural institutions across the city will be sold at a cut price to meet the current deficit.
In a joint letter, Historic England, Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund have called on the government commissioners soon to be in charge of the day-to-day running of the council to ensure that the city’s heritage assets and cultural organisations are “preserved and prioritised”.
Referencing institutions across the city, including the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Aston Hall and Symphony Hall, the letter called the sites “precious, publicly owned places” that should be saved as “key drivers of economic regeneration” rather than being seen as a drain on resources.
The letter said: “As the process of balancing the council’s books begins, local communities are rightly concerned about the fate of publicly owned historic places and buildings and arts and culture venues. Birmingham’s financial reconstruction must not come at the cost of its priceless heritage.”
Neil Mendoza, Chair of Historic England, said: “Cultural and heritage assets are incredibly precious and important parts of communities. They’re not things to be bought and sold.
“This is a serious situation, and heritage and community considerations need to be taken into account as well as the obvious legal ones. People in Birmingham are really upset at the idea these things might even be considered as assets to be sold.”