9:17am Sunday 2nd September 2007
By Sarah Cosgrove
A ROW has developed between protestors and the council over an offer of money made to keep William Morris Gallery open for one year.
Friends of William Morris Gallery chairman, Martin Stutchfield, told the Guardian he had made an offer of up to £20,000 to allow the stay of execution.
He said the Friends made the offer to council leader, Clyde Loakes, who asked him if he would be willing to put his proposal forward formerly at a meeting with officers.
Mr Stutchfield said he was never asked to attend a meeting. Subsequent letters he wrote to Cllr Loakes were also ignored, he claimed.
But the council deny an offer was made.
A spokesman said: "Waltham Forest Council has had no confirmed offers of financial assistance from any individual or organisation with regards to William Morris Gallery and Vestry House Museum."
According to Mr Stutchfield, the offer was based on a compromise between staff and a donation of money from the Friends.
The council planned to save £13,000 by getting staff at the gallery and Vestry House Museum in Vestry Road, Walthamstow, to do their own cleaning and £43,000 by cutting opening hours and staff numbers.
Mr Stuchfield agreed that staff would do their own cleaning and both venues would share an administrator, giving curatorial staff a year's grace, and making up the rest of the funding gap with a donation.
The row has inflamed passions as far away as America.
A letter from Florence Boos, American chairwoman of the William Morris Society, was critical of the council "ignoring the offer".
She wrote: "These actions negate the possibility of successful applications to upgrade the gallery's premises and make it more accessible to disabled visitors. Few of the council's decision-makers seem to have visited the gallery in recent years, but several have expressed interest in the site's value as a potential revenue-producing venue."
Councillors maintain they are doing the right thing.
The cabinet member for arts, leisure and culture, Cllr Geraldine Reardon, said: "These changes are aimed at making the treasures held by our museum and gallery more accessible to local people who pay for the service.
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