MD1513 Museum of London – New Museum Project

1.1 Between September 2014 and February 2015 the Museum brought together information to make an informed decision about its future. During this ‘feasibility’ stage, the Museum worked with a range of consultants, including architects, cost consultants and market researchers, to identify and develop three options for consideration: stay put and attempt to improve the building; develop a new building on the existing site; move to Smithfield General Market.

Process and consultation-
1.2 The Museum’s Options Appraisal Panel met on the 11th February to evaluate the three options. This evaluation was informed by an appraisal and cost benefit analysis conducted by the Museum’s consultants, Burns Owens Partnership (BOP). This cost benefit analysis complied with the Treasury Green Book guidelines to ensure best value for public funds.

Options Panel Recommendation-
1.3 The Panel’s unanimous recommendation was that the preferred option was to relocate to Smithfield General Market. On the 11 March, the Board of Governors agreed the Panel’s recommendation and asked the Director to implement the next steps.

Architectural Competition-
1.4 The Museum now needs to run an architectural competition to appoint an architect and other consultants who will develop the design of the new museum to concept stage. A detailed strategic brief articulating space requirements, and a procurement and management plan to manage the new museum project will also be completed in October 2015.

Feasibility Costs-
1.5 The Museum paid for the feasibility stage from its own funds, but now requires £200,000 to implement the work described here.

1.6 This work is vital to ensure the Museum project moves forward as quickly as possible in order to minimize the additional costs associated with an extended programme. It will also generate the material the Museum needs to mount the fundraising campaign that will deliver the project.

The Funding
1.7 The GLA has worked closely with the Museum of London to ensure that this project will deliver value for money, and in accordance with the GLA’s obligations regarding equality of opportunities as set out in 3.1 below.

2.1 The Museum’s visitor figures have doubled in recent years and continue to grow. The move to Smithfield will create more room (an increase of up to 5,000sq ft on the current site), helping the Museum achieve its aim of attracting two million visitors per year. In turn, this will lead to an increase in revenue which will decrease its dependency on public funding.

2.2 The Museum of London will establish appropriate governance and oversight arrangements. GLA will have joint oversight of the project alongside the Museum and the City of London Corporation. e.g. through an Oversight Board. As a condition of funding, the Museum will undertake significant fundraising and will manage the design and planning process including the submission for planning permission.

3.1 Decisions on the planning and management of the new museum will aim to enhance a sense of belonging, for visitors to the museum and for its employees. The architectural plan will assess the access requirements of the new site, particularly with regard to people with disabilities, older people and families with young children, and will address barriers to access. As part of the strategic brief, the Museum will assess the social and ethnic make-up of the communities immediately surrounding the museum, proactively engage with local communities, and involve groups with protected characteristics as part of the design and planning process.

4.1 Risk/mitigation table

4.2 This project will help the Mayor to deliver Policy 2.3 of the Cultural Strategy: “Support capital projects that will contribute to the capital’s cultural, social and economic life through planning policies, advocacy and direct investment.”

5.1 For 2015-16, the GLA has budgeted to provide £7.6m in revenue funding to the Museum of
London, which is consistent with budget allocated in previous years. An additional £200,000 has been allocated from within GLA budget resources, specifically within the Health & Communities Unit to fund this proposal in 2015-16.

5.2 Any changes to this proposal, including budgetary implications will be subject to further approval via the Authority’s decision-making process. All appropriate budget adjustments will be made.

5.3 The Culture Team within the Communities & Intelligence Directorate will be responsible for managing the GLA’s activities relating to proposal and ensuring that all expenditure complies with the Authority’s Financial Regulations and Contracts & Funding Code.

6.1 Under section 30 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (the ‘Act’) the mayor, acting on behalf of the GLA, is entitled to do anything that he considers will further the promotion, within Greater London, of economic development and wealth creation, social development and the improvement of the environment.

6.2 Furthermore, section 34 of the Act allows the GLA, acting by the mayor, to do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of any functions of the GLA exercisable by the mayor. In this case, the provision of up to £200,000 funding to the Museum of London relating to its relocation to Smithfields General Market, may be viewed as being calculated to facilitate and conducive and incidental to social development in Greater London.

6.3 The proposed grant of up to £200,000 to the Museum of London may be viewed as a conditional gift rather than a contract for services and supplies. Paragraph 6.4 of the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code requires that the GLA distribute funding fairly, transparently and in accordance with the GLA’s obligations regarding equality of opportunities. To this end, the officers have set out in paragraph 1.7 above how they have met the said requirements. Furthermore, the officers must ensure that an appropriate funding agreement be put in place between the GLA and Museum of London before any commitment to the funding be made.

The Project will be delivered by the Museum of London who will manage the architectural competition and deliver a strategic brief and procurement and management plan by October 2015.

Next Steps