Museum hours to be cut in spending squeeze

Hull Maritime Museum, Streetlife and the Ferens Art Gallery are amongst the attractions which will be affected by a shift to seasonal working patterns, which could see many staff becoming part-time.

An alternative would have seen museums and the gallery closed two days a week.

Coun Rick Welton said Hull Council, which faces cuts of between 40m and 50m, was trying to avoid closures.

He said: "What we are trying to do is hold the line on any closures, managing services as best as we can so people still get a service even if it is not as encompassing as it was.

"We are also looking at more commerciality in services generally.

Asked about staff Coun Welton added: "I suppose it is better to have a job that could go back to full time, rather than no job at all."

He said they would be keeping the popular La Loggia cafe in the Ferens open, and would be investing 50,000 on a new bar in the foyer at Hull New Theatre, which should pay for itself in two years. There would also be a new portable bar in the City Hall.

At a meeting yesterday councillors were also asked to consider transferring the running of the city's two municipally-owned golf courses to a private operator.

Afterwards Labour councillor Phil Webster, who spent 10 years as the secretary of Sutton Park golf club, said a third option had emerged with the council continuing to run at least one of the golf courses. Last year the subsidy for each visit to Sutton Park was 3.78 a head and Springhead Park, 5.55. There were 27,644 visits to Sutton Park and 20,908 to Springhead Park.

Coun Webster said: "I am doing this with an open mind and what's best for the city ultimately. I'd rather save one than lose both."

He added: "As someone more famous than me said, there's nothing left in the cupboard."