Ten year plan for Museums

St Peter's Street does not look like this any more, and somehow
the building is made to look less dominating as it guards
Market Square.

The announcement this week of the District Council's ten year plan for the city's two museums must be welcome – and surprising – news.  In addition to a substantial addition to the size of Verulamium Museum, it is also to take on a wider brief, adding medieval to the ancient and Roman periods.

Meanwhile, in the city centre, an apparent solution to the dire state of the Museum of St Albans (MoSTA) has been found.  The Old Town Hall is a building looking for a purpose; and the museum  in Hatfield Road is a function with a poor building.  The intention is to bring MoSTA to the heart of the city, overlooking Market Square.

Although not widely known, we are still lucky to have the Old Town Hall.  There had been discussions about its future in the early part of the 20th century, and a proposal was put forward for its demolition, because it was very expensive to heat and even more expensive to keep its face looking clean.  Today, the future of the building seems secure, and if the museum moves here the more modern story of the city would be told in fitting surroundings and in a more central location.

I think it is a splendid idea, but its success will depend in being able to fund it, and to resolve the endowment issue over the present museum's Hatfield Road site; its sale would be an important part of the project.