A museum full of tales from the past no longer has a future as funding is slashed. 

Hampshire Cultural Trust is set to permanently close Eastleigh Museum and Ashcroft Arts Centre and leave the buildings after a cut in funding.

Eastleigh Museum, which shows what life was like in the 1930s, closed its doors to the public in April 2022, while Ashcroft Arts Centre is still open.

Hampshire County Council agreed on December 5 to the trust’s proposal to withdraw from both the museum and arts centre.

Since the permission is granted, the trust can now issue a notice to the council to end the management agreement.

The fatal decision comes after the council cabinet  cut the trust’s £2.5million funding by £600,000 from April 2027 as part of the measures to bridge the recurring budget gap of £182m for 2025/26 onwards.

On his decision day, Cllr Nick Adams-King, the cabinet member for Hampshire 2050 and corporate services, gave the green light to the proposal to end the leases between the administration and the trust for both centres.

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The report said that the buildings will cease being used for cultural activities.

Further discussions will take place to explore alternative uses for the properties, potentially selling or renting them.

Cllr Adams-King said the collections from both museums will be moved to new locations rather than being lost, ensuring they remain accessible for the public to enjoy.

The Ashcroft Arts Centre’s website stated that the trust “categorically” does not wish to consider the possibility of exiting any of the venues it operates.

However, due to the “significant” reduction in funding, it felt it had “no choice but to do so”.