Former art gallery may be sold after developers make offers

The old art gallery, housed a Victorian townhouse, closed to the public in 2009 and is being replaced by the multi-million pound The Hepworth, which will open in May this year.

Members of the Wakefield Council’s Cabinet committee will be asked to decide whether they back plans to sell the art gallery to developers who are interested in turning it into either offices or homes.

A report to members of the council says: “Wakefield Art Gallery is already closed and has not been seen as a loss to people of Wakefield. However, this will be replaced by a better provision for the district.”

“The art gallery has been up for sale for some time and the council has now received three offers, all of which are subject to planning for change of use.

“It is important that this decision is taken quickly so as to realise the capital receipt back into the council’s capital programme.”

Since the 1930s the art gallery had been housed in a former doctor’s house in Wentworth Terrace, Wakefield, but for a long time there had been calls for a bigger space as the museum was only able to show a small percentage of its collections at any one time.

The Wakefield area is of major significance in modern British sculpture, producing Wakefield-born Dame Barbara Hepworth, after who the Hepworth is named and Castleford-born Henry Moore.

Wakefield’s art collection includes significant works by both sculptors.

The city also has a collection of landscapes from Wakefield and elsewhere in Yorkshire, notably the Gott collection – an internationally significant and rarely-seen group of watercolour paintings, sketches and prints given to the gallery by the local industrialist and collector Frank Green in 1930.

Opening The Hepworth means that the public will be able to see many more pieces from the city’s collections.

Members of the council’s Cabinet committee will meet on Tuesday to decide whether to back the sale of the former art gallery.

A report to be considered by members says: “There has been a considerable amount of interest and three offers have been received to date. All the offers are in excess of £500,000 and are considered to reflect the current market value of the property. Information in respect of the funding arrangements for the offers is currently being obtained.

“The future uses of the property proposed by the interested parties are office and residential.

“The art gallery is a Locally Listed Building and is also located within a conservation area and design priority area.

“The offers received are all dependant of change of use for which a full planning application will be required. Planning will require a study of the impact of any conversion works to be undertaken on the historic fabric of the building. Information in respect of residents’ parking will also be required as part of the application.”

The Hepworth is on Wakefield’s waterfront and will open to the public on Saturday, May 21, with 150,000 people expected through its doors within the first year.

It will show for the first time a previously unseen collection of sculptures by Dame Barbara, given by the Hepworth Estate.

It will exhibit key long-term loans from Tate and the Arts Council Collection and will bring international contemporary art and historical art exhibitions to Yorkshire.

Finishing touches are now being made to the space and galleries with those behind the project saying it will boost the city’s economy for years to come.

For more information about the project visit www.hepworthwakefield.org