Council chiefs say discussions over expanding a Lichfield museum are not linked to the closure of a neighbouring business.
The owner of Boomers on Breadmarket Street says the cafe has been forced to shut permanently after scaffolding for repairs on the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum saw a drop in trade.
Sue Pettitt said takings had fallen by £3,000 in just four weeks of the work – which has since been extended after more issues came to light – beginning.
And she has now questioned why, at a meeting earlier this year, councillors backed a potential expansion of the museum into neighbouring units “should such an opportunity arise”.
Minutes from the Johnson Birthplace Advisory Committee meeting on 26th April reveal that talks over creating a bigger museum had taken place.
“A representative of the Johnson Society asked the committee to give its in principle support for expanding the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum into one of the adjoining properties should such an opportunity arise.
“This would offer numerous benefits, notably in terms of making more of the birthplace and its collections accessible to visitors, and creating better facilities for research, educational visits and events, but would of course create several issues, not least being funding for any such proposal.
“The committee confirmed its ‘in principle’ support.”
Minutes of Lichfield City Council’s Johnson Birthplace Advisory Committee meeting in April 2022
The cafe owner said she was concerned to discover that talks had taken place about the expansion even when her business had been operating.
“I am shocked at the lack of transparency from Lichfield City Council – they were hoping to purchase the property to expand the museum.
“They have destroyed my livelihood and my dream. Not a single representative has contacted me since I was forced to close.
“Because they answer only to themselves they can do what they want to anybody with no conscience or reprisal.”
Sue Pettitt
But a Lichfield City Council spokesperson said the discussions over the possible expansion had been ongoing for decades – and that any such plans could be beyond its financial reach.
“The structural work being undertaken to the exterior of the building and the associated repairs are necessary to safeguard the public and for the preservation of the building – the city council could not ignore the need for this work to be addressed.
“The council has put reasonable voluntary mitigation measures in place and believes it has complied with all prevailing legal requirements.
“The possibility of acquiring a neighbouring building has been discussed on occasion since at least the 1990s. In 2018 the possibility was looked at again, since which time both buildings immediately adjacent to the museum have been occupied by new tenants.
“It was discussed by the Johnson Birthplace Advisory Committee as a long term aspiration with significant obstacles in April 2021 and again in April 2022.
“An opportunity for acquisition would be investigated by the council as it offers significant potential benefits to the museum and its visitors. However, such consideration would need to be balanced against factors such as the purchase price, refurbishment and remodelling costs and limitations, plus the ongoing cost liability of adding an additional building to the city council’s assets.
“The impact on the city council’s finances if it were to fund such a project would be very significant indeed – potentially beyond the council’s reasonable reach.
“The decision would need to be made by full council following receipt of professional advice relating to the above.”
Lichfield City Council spokesperson
A private meeting between the city council and Boomers are set to be held later this month.
