Ellie Ames 03 July 2024

Council has no plan to display £6.7m art

Council has no plan to display £6.7m art image
Image: Theerapat Pawaprom / Shutterstock.com

North Yorkshire Council has no plan to display the majority of its £6.7m art collection after talks about using the former council chamber fell through.

The local authority reportedly owns 2,658 works of art, valued in 2019 at about £6.7m, with just 1% of the collection on public display.

It was suggested that the art could be housed at the former Harrogate Council offices at Crescent Gardens, but no agreement could be reached with the site’s current owner, Impala Estates.

North Yorkshire's corporate director of community development, Nic Harne, said: ‘Currently, we remain open to discussions about lending and borrowing collections with other institutions and venues, as is common in the arts and heritage sector.

‘There are no immediate plans with Impala Estates, but we would consider opportunities in the future.’

The leader of the council's Labour Group, Steve Shaw-Wright, said: ‘I believe that the failure to display, or even plan to display the vast array of paintings, now held by North Yorkshire Council, is an example of the lack of vision of the council.’

Cllr Shaw-Wright added that with so many buildings within the council's control, ‘it should be easy to display some of the works held on behalf of the people’.

Black hole spending review image

Black hole spending review

Jonathan Werran, chief executive of Localis, reflects on what the Spending Review means for local government.
SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Head of Regeneration

Redbridge London Borough Council
£96,861 - £100,671
Right now, we’re in the midst of ambitious regeneration plans that will transform our borough for generations to come Redbridge, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Redbridge London Borough Council

Head of Leisure & Culture

Redbridge London Borough Council
£96,861 - £100,671
Our borough’s Leisure and Culture provision is integral to making Redbridge a great place to live Redbridge, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Redbridge London Borough Council

Head of Leader’s Office

Redbridge London Borough Council
£59,739 - £63,159
This role will see you working at the very centre of the Council’s work Redbridge, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Redbridge London Borough Council

Head of Operational Services

South Derbyshire District Council
£73,051 to £75,342
Ready to shape the future of a thriving district? Derbyshire
Recuriter: South Derbyshire District Council

Director of Family Help and Safeguarding

Reading Borough Council
£105,836 - £121,235
Lead Transformational and Improvement Change for Children’s Services Reading, Berkshire
Recuriter: Reading Borough Council
Linkedin Banner