A “RADICAL re-think” of Bradford’s museums is needed to help them thrive despite looming budget cuts - a new report has claimed.

Bradford Council has previously announced major cuts to its libraries and museums service, amounting to a £1.05 million cut to library budgets and a £500,000 to the museums service in 2020-21.

Overall budget reductions for these services for the current year and next financial year represent a cut of 65 per cent.

And at a meeting of the Council’s Regeneration and Environment Scrutiny Committee next Wednesday, members will be given an update on the services and cuts.

Although light on detail, a report to the committee says the Council is working with groups like the Arts Council to make sure the district’s museums are able to withstand the cuts.

Bradford Council runs four museums and galleries, Cartwright Hall in Lister Park, Bolling Hall in Bowling, Cliffe Castle Museum in Keighley and Bradford Industrial Museum in Eccleshill.

The Council has already announced plans to reduce opening hours at museums, as well as increasing income by renting museum and gallery spaces for events.

The report says: “External reports commissioned have highlighted a number of challenges that restrict the ability to radically move to become a modern museum at a local level.

“By far the biggest challenge is the level of proposed budget cuts at a time when the Councils cultural ambitions are stronger than ever.

“Investment in the service is a vital ingredient for future success, however recent funding bids have not been successful as a result of strong competition from neighbouring authorities together with an inability to meet certain criteria.

“There are two ways in which the Council could choose to take on the challenge of meeting its dual aims. The first includes continuing to deliver the services in the same way by retrenching the service, closing sites, making redundancies and not changing the way in which it is governed, managed or developed.

“This would achieve the required savings, however it would significantly limit the capacity of the service at a time when Bradford is looking to use culture as a tool to unlock economic growth.

“Alternatively the Council can accept that a radical re-think is required in terms of the services objectives, its leadership, its management, the way in which it is staffed and the way in which its collections are managed and wider audience engagement.

“Re-designing the service with a plan for the future has a much better chance of engaging funders, drawing new audiences and partners, inspiring new capital projects and opening up the possibility of future revenue funding from Arts Council England.”

The committee meets in City Hall at 5.30pm next Wednesday.