Visitor figures up at doomed West Bromwich arts centre The Public

During the six-week school holiday, the West Bromwich arts centre, which will close on November 30, saw more than 53,825 people through its doors.

Bosses have said the high visitor figure is partly down to the opening of the £200 million New Square shopping centre.

Visitors to the New Street centre explored the gallery's exhibitions, took part in a number of family workshops, and enjoyed a wide of range of free live performances.

A spokesperson from The Public said: "This summer has been our busiest ever, with the whole building buzzing with activity. Not only have we seen our regular visitors returning time and time again, the opening of New Square Shopping Centre has seen us welcome thousands who are visiting for the first time." The boost in visitor figures comes as talks about the future of the centre are ongoing.

Sandwell Council chiefs have announced that the £72 million arts centre in West Bromwich is too expensive to run and has formally ended its agreement with Sandwell Arts Trust, which runs the venue. This means it will close its doors on November 30.

Sandwell Council took over the management of the centre in 2009 and pumps £30,000 a week into the centre to keep it open – almost £1.6m a year.

The decision to close the venue came despite protests to keep the iconic black and pink building open, and the council is now continuing talks with Sandwell College, which wants to transform The Public into a sixth form college for 500 A-level students.

Sandwell's council leader Councillor Darren Cooper has said early indications would suggest that the college is looking to develop this as a sixth form arts college as well as keep on some of the groups that currently use the site.

Around 60 staff will be made redundant and a further 180 workers will be forced to relocate when the centre closes.

Melanie Dudley, director of improvement and efficiency at Sandwell Council, said: "We are doing everything to support the staff at The Public into alternative employment."

Building work on the structure started in 1995 and after delays the centre finally opened in 2008.

In 2011 the Arts Council was accused of funding a building that was 'not fit for purpose' in a damning report into the organisation's role in building the centre. Sandwell's deputy council leader Councillor Mahboob Hussain has said the council wants to secure a long-term future for the building.