A decline in visitors to York’s museums and gallery will continue without significant investment to improve buildings and their facilities, a report has warned.
The report from independent charity York Museums Trust stated its cash reserves cover less than two months of operating costs, leaving it unable to afford improvements and reliant on council support.
Trust chief executive Kathryn Blacker said in the report the city’s museums and galleries were at a critical juncture as concerns mount over the condition of its buildings.
Councillors discussed the report at the children, culture and communities scrutiny committee yesterday (Monday).
It comes as the trust, which operates the Yorkshire Museum, York Castle Museum and York Art Gallery, is set to end the financial year with a £111,000 deficit, up from £54,000 in 2023-4.
A £1m line of credit from City of York Council is set to run out next year as costs for repairs including fixing leaks in the Yorkshire Museum’s roof continue to mount.
This year’s budget is set at £321,000 which accounts for falling visitor numbers.
The council gives £300,000-a-year to the trust, down from £600,000 in 2015 and £1.1m in 2014.
The report stated expectations for the year up to March had been low following the closure of York Castle Museum after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was found in 2023.
The museum partially reopened after three months but works on the roof meant the upper half of the Female Prison remained closed until autumn last year.
The report stated the works to address RAAC had an expected lifespan of 10 years.
Footfall was strong during Christmas and the February half term, with the report stating that it showed there was still interest despite a fall in visitor numbers overall.
The Castle Museum’s visitor numbers for 2024-25 were forecast to be 234,650 by March, up from 209,235 in 2023-4.
However the overall total for the Castle Museum, Yorkshire Museum and York Art Gallery fell from 406,014 in 2023-4 to 386,500 in 2024-5.
The report stated York Castle Museum remains the most popular of the three and brings in much of the trust’s income through ticket sales.
The Art Gallery’s Monet exhibition brought in more than 70,000 visitors.
But the Yorkshire Museum’s roof remains in urgent need of repair and the trust missed out on £5m in funding for the works following an unsuccessful Arts Council bid.
Further investment is also needed at the Art Gallery including in humidity controls and CCTV.
The trust’s report stated that visitor expectations meant it would also need to spend more on interactive and experience-based features for the gallery and museums.
It would be able to become more financially self-sufficient if it could invest but until it gets the money to do so it will continue to rely on public funding.
The report stated: “With continued deficits, our reserves are at less than two months of our operating costs and we are relying on a £1m letter of credit from the council which is supporting us as a last resort.
“It is clear that the trust is at a critical juncture of its existence.
“The council and the trust are working together to look at the trust’s funding model to ensure all venues can continue to meet the expectation of visitors and protect the generation of income.”