Bantock House and Bilston Craft Gallery to 'shut during weekdays' under Wolverhampton council cuts

Bantock House and Bilston Craft Gallery's opening hours have come under review as part of a shake-up of opening times at cultural attractions across the city.

While those sites are lined up to be closed during the week, the City Archives' weekday hours will also be cut under the plan.

But it will open on Fridays and Saturdays for the first time.

The Art Gallery will also lose an hour on its Monday to Saturday times but would open on a Sunday.

A consultation has been launched to gauge public reaction to the proposed changes.

People are being urged to give their response by filling in a questionnaire on the council's website. A public consultation event will also take place at each of the venues in early October.

Only seven months ago city bosses were boasting how well the sites were doing, with almost quarter of a million visiting Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Bilston Craft Gallery and Bantock House and Park in 2015, the first year a proper record had been kept. City economy leader, Councillor John Reynolds, said he was 'delighted.'

Previous unofficial figures reveal that visitor numbers have been growing steadily for years.

In 2010 Bantock House in Finchfield Road revealed their headcount had risen year on year for a decade, with 80,000 flocking to the site that year, attracted by a range of events, from antiques and collectors fairs to car rallies and Second World War-themed weekends.

Bilston Craft Gallery also hosts national touring exhibitions, including a show earlier this year about the discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard, and works with hundreds of children under five through its popular CraftPlay programme.

Today Councillor Reynolds said: "Having reviewed visitor numbers and peak times we believe the current opening times for these four venues are not cost-effective at a time when local authorities are having to manage huge central government cuts.

We want to ensure these venues are open at times when there is most demand for them. The consultation process is designed to let the public have their say on some suggested alternative opening times.

"The results of the consultation will be considered in full before a final decision is made on the best way forward."

The council has been forced to make cuts of £175 million over the past six years and it is estimated savings of £54m still have to be found. The public consultation is due to close on October 14.