Two Bradford Museums will have vastly reduced opening hours under budget cuts, according to draft proposals by Bradford Council.

The Council has announced plans to reduce the budgets of its museums and libraries service, with a full list of proposals expected to be revealed in the coming weeks.

It has previously been announced that the plans could include two museums, Bolling Hall and Bradford Industrial Museum, could see reduced opening hours and seasonal openings to meet squeezing budgets.

Consultation documents show the possible extent of those cuts.

The museums and galleries budget for the current year is £1.8 million, but Bradford Council plans to cut this by a further £500,000 in 2020/21.

The libraries budget is currently £2,824,000, but in 2020/21 will be cut by £1.5 million.

The budget cuts have been heavily criticised by unions, staff and more recently Bradford West MP Naz Shah.

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The consultation documents that will shape the future of the services say: "Consideration has been given to the permanent closure of a number of museums and libraries.

"However, the Council's ambition for this financial year is to retain all four museum sites and 29 libraries, both Council and community managed.

"Therefore to achieve these complex aims of reducing costs whilst delivering our ambitions, we need to redesign the libraries and museum service."

The document reveals that the Industrial Museum, which currently opens 12 months a year, could now close to the public for three months, starting at the end of November - just a few weeks after its popular annual Victorian Christmas market.

The museum, which attracted 58,438 visitors in 2017/18 is currently open six days a week - shut only on Monday.

However, if the proposals go ahead this will be cut in half - with the museum only opening to the public on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Bolling Hall, which is one of the city's oldest buildings and documents Bradford history dating back to the Civil War, also opens year round. However, under the proposed cuts the the museum could be shut to the public for a third of the year - from the end of October to early March.

The museum, which attracted 24,015 visitors in 2017/18 currently opens five days a week - but this will be reduced to three days a week - Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, if the proposals go ahead.

The report says the museums may still host events and school bookings in these closed periods.

Four back office jobs would be cut from the museum service, saving £168,000 a year, while front line staff will see changes to their rota "to retain contracted hours with flexible working."

The report also reveals that eight back office positions in the library service would be cut, saving £252,000 a year.

A Council spokesman said: "The proposal to reduce opening hours at Bolling Hall and the Industrial Museum was published as part of the public consultation which Bradford Council undertook in January.

“We did not receive any significant feedback from this consultation that required any changes to the proposal.

“Staff consultation is still underway and any final proposals will be shared with the public in the coming weeks.

“Bradford Council has been reviewing how it will set out budget savings for museums and galleries given continuing national Government austerity.

“The review has looked into potential for income generation and examining possible service efficiencies. Integration and remodelling of operational delivery has been considered and the service has made specific proposals for the delivery of savings which have been subject to both staff and public consultations.

“As a Council we are committed to undertaking an extensive consultation process, including with unions, staff, stakeholders and members of the public and will continue to do this in the future.”