Museums set for 'urgent' safety work
BBCTwo major cultural attractions are in line for "urgent" maintenance works.
Newcastle City Council says the Laing Art Gallery and the Discovery Museum are in need of immediate repairs to "ensure the safety of staff and the public" as well as maintain compliance with legislation.
Alongside third-party funding, the authority has agreed to put £873,000 towards the work which will include upgrading the Discovery Museum's "obsolete and dysfunctional" fire alarms, replacing fire doors and unsafe electrical systems, and refurbishing broken lifts.
The electrical system at the Laing Gallery will also be upgraded.
Both buildings are owned by the council, which described them as a "key driver" of visitor numbers.
The Discovery Museum attracted just over 179,000 people last year and the Laing Gallery 100,000.
'Finest' cultural assets
A council spokesperson said: "A recent inspection by us, highlighted urgent work that needed carrying out to keep the buildings open."
At the Laing, the public lift needs improved wheelchair access while the goods lift will be moved.
"Both the Laing Art Gallery and Discovery Museum are among the city's finest free cultural assets and are increasingly popular among visitors," the spokesperson added.
"This [work] will keep them safe for visitors and compliant with legislation while safeguarding their futures."
Significant restoration work recently began at the Discovery Museum, based in the Grade II listed Blandford House on Blandford Square.
There have long been concerns about the state of the building, which houses treasures such as Charles Parsons' Turbinia - the first ship to be powered by steam turbines and once the fastest vessel in the world.
Bosses warned in 2022 the venue was in a "serious state of decline", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
More than £3m in government funding was secured to replace the roof, with work scheduled to be completed by spring next year.
