A major public petition demanding the Walsall Leather Museum be saved from relocation will face its second round of formal council scrutiny this week, amid growing controversy over the plans.
Petition forces public debate
A petition signed by 3,235 local residents will be presented to Walsall Council's prosperous places and investment scrutiny committee on Tuesday, 20 January. The petition, launched by leather fashion designer Lauren Broxton in November 2025, garnered over 1,000 signatures in just five days.
It calls for the council to reverse its decision to move the museum from its current home on Littleton Street West to an undisclosed town centre building. The historic Victorian building, a former leather factory, is set to be handed over to Walsall College for its Special Educational Needs and Disability provision.
Council accused of 'gross mishandling'
This will be the second time the committee has examined the controversial decision. At a previous meeting in October, lead petitioner Lauren Broxton accused the council of "grossly mishandling" one of the town's "most definitive assets".
Councillor Klara Margetts, speaking for five Walsall Labour Group councillors who called for the scrutiny, said the move went "against the wishes of the majority of residents". Prominent historian Carl Chinn added that Walsall Council had "gained an unfavourable reputation for closing its museums".
Despite the scrutiny committee voting to have the decision reconsidered by cabinet members, council leaders pressed ahead with the original plan at a cabinet meeting on 15 October.
Leadership claims and community backlash
Council leader Mike Bird recently confirmed on BBC Radio WM that an offer had been submitted on a town centre building for the museum's new home, with details promised within six weeks if successful. He claimed the current building had "no heritage at all" and insisted the costs of relocation and renovating the old site for the college would not fall on taxpayers.
These assertions have been fiercely contested. Campaigner Vicky Roden accused Councillor Bird of being "less than truthful" during the radio interview, particularly regarding the status of museums in the borough. The council's leadership has been criticised for providing few public justifications for the move, an absence campaigners say continues.
The crucial scrutiny meeting is scheduled for 6pm on Tuesday, 20 January, at Walsall Council House.
