Could long awaited museum and library be scrapped in city centre revamp?

Karl Johnson and Lukasz Borcz made the comments as councillors debated proposals for the Cathedral Quarter project.

In April, the then Labour-run council bought The Ridings shopping centre for £11m with the intention of demolishing it, along with four blocks of flats, to make way for a major regeneration scheme.

Original plans included building new homes, a public square, cinema, new library, museum and events spaces.

But Reform UK took control of the council a month later and launched a review of the scheme, along with a public consultation to allow residents and business owners to give their views.

In 2021, the council revealed plans to relocate the library and museum from its Wakefield One headquarters on Burton Street to the former British Home Stores (BHS) building opposite the city’s cathedral.

Building work to transform the premises into a £16m educational facility started in 2023 but stalled after the scheme was superseded by the Cathedral Quarter proposals.

The delivery of the new museum and library was called into question during a full council meeting on Wednesday (July 29).

Council leader Karl Johnson questioned whether the facilities would help generate enough footfall into the city centre.

He said: “I can tell you now there won’t be a museum. Who wants yet another museum?

“We’ll go into town and then we’ll see it and then we will go back again maybe in a year’s time if it changes round – great business policy!

“We will make sure that the city centre is something to be proud.”

After the meeting, Coun Johnson said the comment was his personal opinion and that no decisions on the Cathedral Quarter would be made until after the consultation ended on August 2.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “If people want a museum they can have a museum.

“But based on the people I have spoken to, they don’t want a museum.

“After speaking to businesses, in my opinion, they don’t want a museum.

“That doesn’t mean we won’t do it.

“If I’m totally wrong and it turns out people want a museum, we will deliver it.

“Nothing has been decided.”

During questions to culture and sport portfolio holder Lukasz Borcz, Labour councillor Mohammed Ayub asked: “How do you feel that your leader has said we will not have a library or a museum in the city centre?”

Coun Borcz replied: “We have a museum and library in Wakefield One.

“We have got the archives (West Yorkshire History Centre) on Kirkgate which is massive.

“I encourage everyone to go because for nine years I passed it and never went. “If you actually go there it is unreal.

“I feel the same as the leader, we don’t need another museum in the town centre and that’s my final answer.”

Later in the meeting, Matthew Pinder, cabinet member district regeneration and regional growth, reiterated that no decisions would be made until after the consultation process, which more than 1,000 residents have so far engaged with.

Coun Ayub then said: “I feel like I have got to ask this question again, because you say there has been no decision made.

“But we have got the leader saying there will be no library or museum, and the portfolio holder for leisure saying there will be no library or museum.

“Are we going to let the people have a true and open consultation? Or have you already made them decisions?

“Is this only another tick-box exercise that Reform are trying to pull off.”

In response, Coun Pinder said: “What we inherited from Labour was public unrest because you didn’t actually consult home-owners and businesses before you decided to purchase The Ridings.

“When it comes to our legitimacy you have got no ground to stand on if I’m being honest with you.

“Everybody’s opinion is equal and matters in this room. There have been no final decisions made on anything.

“It’s about listening to people. Just because councillor Johnson has got an opinion and councillor Borcz has got an opinion, it means it’s just as equal to everybody in this chamber and everybody in the public (gallery).

“Because this is what it’s about. It’s about democracy and listening to the people of Wakefield.”