- 14/10/2025
- Posted by: Valerie Vaz MP
- Category: Local News, Press Releases
Walsall Council Cabinet’s decision on 24 September 2025 to close Walsall Leather Museum has outraged everyone interested in heritage.
This decision was called in, to be reviewed on 14 October 2025. Diligent scrutiny should expose the lack of transparency of the decision and push the Council to preserve heritage and create opportunities for the future.
The Council have tried to justify its complete disregard not only for cultural heritage and popularity across the UK and internationally, but the impact on Walsall’s leather industry and its potential to build on its world-leading reputation.
The Council has said these are cost-saving measures but have pitted one group against another, heritage campaigners against adults with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This use of vulnerable people is moral blackmail.
The Council’s draft policy proposals are now inaccessible to the public. They were proposing to move the Leather Museum to one of their “existing, more centrally located, town centre properties”. However, the report agreed by the Cabinet on 24 September 2025 recommended the acquisition of a new property.
The Leather Museum was purpose built to showcase Walsall’s famous leatherworking trade, including a saddle workshop and tannery. The Council needs to be transparent and set out the costs for finding, refurbishing and staffing a building with the same quality and resources as the Littleton Street West site.
Questions also need to be asked of Walsall College and its sizeable estate as to why this heritage asset is the only solution to provide a new SEND provision.
The Leather Museum is not currently suitable for a SEND provision and Walsall College have to make clear how they are planning to use public money to significantly refurbish the site.
Walsall residents know the story all too well – hasty schemes rammed through while cost effective and sensible plans for the benefit of Walsall are ignored.