Fight for new St Albans museum moves closer to victory

A CAMPAIGN for a new museum for St Albans has taken a step forward when the action group set up to lobby for such a facility met with the district council.

The two parties got together to look at how the current service could be made more accessible and to consider how to make to make it fit for the 21st century.

A group of local residents with specific expertise in museum-related services set up the campaign group earlier this year to push for the opening of a new museum devoted to the parts of St Albans' history which are barely represented at the moment.

They feel that while Roman Verulamium is well represented, large swathes of the district's history have been sidelined because the Museum of St Albans is unable to provide the space or accessibility to accommodate it.

Dr Jill Singer, speaking for the New Museum of St Albans Action Group, said that the city of St Albans and the district as a whole had been described as a microcosm of England with almost every aspect of life and times throughout the centuries found in one place.

She went on: "From the post Roman beginnings circa 410 and to the present day, the city has been a cradle for change and progress reaching into all corners of life: academia, science, religion, industry, architecture, transportation and there should be a centre where all that is made accessible."

A reference group is now going to be set up to recognise the need and the campaign group will be included. In the meantime as a first step the display areas of the Museum of St Albans are to be enhanced to use the space more effectively.

Cllr Melvyn Teare, the district council's portfolio holder for culture and heritage said: "I am really pleased that the meeting went well. I think we all want to see a museum service that the district's communities can be proud of and contribute to and which reflects its rich heritage.

"We had already started to move the service forward and this campaign could not have come at a better time.