Progress on reopening the Museum of Lancashire in Preston remains stalled.

Talks are ongoing between Lancashire County Council and a mystery consortium who are interested in taking on the building.

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It closed in September 2016 as part of county council cutbacks (under the then Labour administration in County Hall) and is only open by appointment for school trips or education visits.

The county council announced last week it would be reopening Queen Street Mill in Burnley, Helmshore Textile Mile in Rossendale and the Judges Lodgings Museum in Lancaster for three days a week between Easter and the end of October.

Leader member for economic development and cultural services county councillor Aidy Riggott said: “The council has been working hard to ensure that these museums are once again available to the public, with our efforts focused on talking with organisations which have expressed an interest in taking them on. In the meantime we’ve continued to maintain the collections and buildings.”

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Asked by Blog Preston about the building’s future a county hall spokeswoman said they remained in talks with the consortium who are understood to want to take on the building in Stanley Street.

It remains in a ‘care and maintenance’ plan while its future is discussed.

Thousands of Prestonians signed a petition, at the time of its closure, calling for the building to be kept open.

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