A petition to prevent the closure of an “emblem of local heritage and pride” in Middlesbrough has attracted nearly 3,500 signatures in two weeks.

The petition, apparently started by a trustee of the museum, is campaigning for the museum to remain open, at its current location in Stweart Park, Marton.  

The museum faces closure as part of Middlesbrough Council’s budget-setting process. In summer, the council reported a £11.5m hole in their budget.

The Northern Echo: Captain Cook was born in a cottage near to Stewart Park in Middlesbrough, where the museum marks

Last month, a shortfall of more than £6m remained, with a plan tabled to save £14m, for a “legally balanced” budget in February.

It is proposed that the town’s museum offer be concentrated into the Dorman Museum, which has over 80,000 visitors annually and withdrawn from the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum, which has around 5,300 annual visitors.

In practice, this means the Captain Cook museum would be closed, or operated by another organisation, with exhibits transferred to the Dorman. This change is expected to save £200,000 in 2024/25, and £145,000 in 2025/26.

In addition to changes to the town’s museum offerings, the plans could also see 75 staff members made redundant and a raft of their properties sold off to avoid bankruptcy.

Now, the public has been asked to give their views on changes including introducing fortnightly waste collections, charging for green waste collections and the potential closure of the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum.

Petition organisers said: “Residents of Marton, Middlesbrough and thousands of people worldwide, hold a deep connection to The Captain Cook Birthplace Museum. It is not just a museum; it is an emblem of our local heritage and pride. 

“The proposed closure threatens to erase this vital part of our community's identity. Museums contribute significantly to local economies by attracting tourists and fostering cultural education. Moreover, when used correctly, the museum serves as an important educational resource for schools across the region.

“We must stand together as proud residents of Middlesbrough and protect this symbol of our history from closure. Our children deserve the chance to learn about their heritage and be inspired by Captain Cook's extraordinary life story.”

The council has blamed its battle to balance the books on reduced funding from the government, increased pressure for social care, and high inflation, as well as “unforeseen spending pressures” leaving it with “critically low levels of reserves.”

Middlesbrough Council now spends around 83 per cent of its budget on its statutory duties in caring for vulnerable children and adults – a much higher proportion than many other local authorities.

Middlesbrough is an outlier in terms of the demand for social care, with more adults admitted to residential and nursing care homes at 42.4 per 100,000 of the population, compared to the national average of 13.9 per 100,000 in 2021/22.

Cllr Nicky Walker, Executive member for Finance and Governance, said: “The position we inherited has put us in a place where we have almost nowhere left to go.

“Councils across the land are reporting gaps in funding due to increased costs and demands around key services.

“What makes this particularly challenging for Middlesbrough are the overspends emerging from each of the last two years’ budgets and the critically low level of reserves as of March this year available to cushion such overspends and invest in the transformation that we need to deliver.”

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Dorothy Davidson and Jason McConnell, councillors for East Marton, said: "As Marton east councillors are trying to do everything we can to make sure Captain Cook museum stays open.

"We have had meetings with the Trust and the mayor and will be having further a meeting in the future. We are encouraging residents to fill in the consultation regarding the budget cuts and to sign the petition that's been set up to save the museum."

To find out more, you can access the petition here.