Lease of Alton Gallery to Hampshire Cultural Trust

Hampshire Cultural Trust is taking up a new lease on the Allen Gallery in Alton so it doesn’t lose £1.7 million in National Lottery funding – and potentially leave the attraction facing closure.

In 2014, Hampshire County Council transferred its arts and museums service to Hampshire Cultural Trust.

The Allen Gallery, in Church Street, Alton, of which the county council is the sole trustee, is renowned for its exceptional collection of ceramics dating back to 1250.

It has a main exhibition area, a shop, a café, and a children’s activity area. Throughout the year, the gallery hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions and events.

However, due to the 2014 transfer, the county council loaned the Allen and Curtis Museum Foundation’s collections to the trust under an agreement. It appointed the trust as its agent to carry on the management of the Foundation on its behalf.

A two-stage redevelopment project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) is underway.

The first phase was completed in April 2024. The funding for the second phase, which focuses on refurbishing the venue, depends on fulfilling specific criteria set by the NLHF.

These criteria include granting a lease of the Allen Gallery to the trust and establishing a memorandum of understanding with the foundation.

This memorandum will ensure that the foundation notifies the NLHF before the repossession or surrender of the lease to the trust or any transfer of possession regarding the property.

Moreover, if the lease concludes for any reason, the involved parties will work with the NLHF to find an alternative operator for the property.

Granting the lease to the trust for the Allen Gallery will benefit the foundation, the council said, since the redevelopment plan will transform the gallery into a “vibrant cultural hub” with “modern museum design”, “interactive exhibits”, and “diverse programs”.

The council said that the risks of not granting the lease involve losing up to £1.7m in NLHF funding and additional contributions, increased maintenance costs due to outdated infrastructure, and the erosion of the gallery’s community and cultural value, potentially leading to its closure.

It could also result in “reputational damage” for the county council, financial losses for stakeholders, and missed community and economic development opportunities.

Cabinet member for Hampshire 2050, Cllr Nick Adams-King, approved the lease on his decision day (February 10).

He said: “Our relationship with cultural trust has been a really exemplary one in terms of the way in which we’ve been able to work with them to both preserve our heritage and to help them become more sustainable, which is obviously lessen the pressures on the county council as well.

“Therefore, I’m very happy to agree with the recommendations.”

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