Protesters say selling building to local college could end a trade dating back to middle ages, if new premises not found
Campaigners protesting against the sale of Walsall Leather Museum have said the institution is the town’s “last remaining heritage asset”.
The museum tells the story of the town’s leather industry and those who worked in it. The local council agreed plans in September to sell the museum building to a local college to provide support for students with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).
Lauren Broxton, 35, a business owner and leather designer and one of those protesting against the sale, said the council was “pitting heritage and Send provision one against the other” and that there were no detailed plans about where the museum will be relocated.
Broxton said there were fears among campaigners that the move would put an end to leather-working skills in the area. “It could be that those collections are mothballed or put into storage for two to five years,” she said.
