Redundancies as two year closure planned at Kendal's Abbot Hall and the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry

The news was announced this week by operators Lakeland Arts who said the closure had been necessitated by the multimillion pound redevelopment of the facility which is shortly to be commenced.

And Lakeland Arts also confirmed there will be job losses.

The facilities are to close their doors to the public on Saturday, February 1 with the reopening scheduled for early 2022.

“This is a really difficult time for our colleagues at Abbot Hall and while the redevelopment comes as no surprise, it is naturally upsetting for our colleagues who have been informed that their jobs are at risk,” said Rhian Harris, chief executive of Lakeland Arts.

“We are supporting our colleagues as best we can and will continue to do during this time.”

Abbot Hall is a Georgian mansion lying at a picturesque site in central Kendal, which opened as an ‘Art Gallery for the Lake District’ in 1962’ and has since built up a permanent collection of more than 6,500 works and become a major feature of the South Lakeland tourist scene along with the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry which is also housed within the complex.

Despite its location closer to the River Kent, the complex escaped the worst ravages of Storm Desmond in December 2015, however a coffee house on the site was damaged along with the adjacent bowling green.

Lakeland Arts recently announced plans for a comprehensive redevelopment of the complex and its surroundings, with the total cost of the project amounting to £9.6m.

In June this year, it was announced that an application for stage two capital grant application to Arts Council England had been successful and £4.6m of funding was approved.

South Lakeland District Council have also approved £100,000 of capital funding towards the redevelopment.

And it has now been confirmed that the work will commence in the next few weeks with the target for completion set for 2022 when Abbot Hall celebrates its 60th anniversary as an art gallery.

“The redevelopment means that the Abbot Hall site will close for an estimated two years as we progress with our ambitious plan to redevelop Abbot Hall Art Gallery so that we can show a greater range of world-class art in Cumbria as well as making changes so that we become fully accessible and welcoming to all,” said a statement from Lakeland Arts.

The organisation said the aim of the redevelopment was designed “to ensure it thrives for a further 60 years and more.”

The project will involve a comprehensive redesign and modernisation of the existing art galleries which Lakeland Arts hope will allow them to exhibit more work, collaborate with a greater range of artists and galleries and show more of their existing nationally recognised collection.

The plans also include a new cafe and improved accessibility and imaginative landscaping and include Abbot Hall’s first dedicated Learning Space which is aimed at facilitating increased engagement with the local community.

Essential repair work is also to be carried out to the 16th century former grammar school along with modification of the former stables and coach house which will become the central shop and ticketing space.

Lakeland Arts stressed that some artwork and objects from the permanent collections currently housed at Abbot Hall and the Museum of Lakeland Life and Industry would be displayed at Lakeland Arts’ other venues, Windermere Jetty and Blackwell near Bowness, during the closure.

The group said they would also be continuing their work with local schools and community groups during the closure.

Lakeland Arts also advised that while they discontinued selling Abbot Hall season tickets to new customers some years ago, they were happy to provide refunds to any remaining season ticket holders.

Cllr Robin Ashcroft, SLDC’s portfolio holder for Culture and Leisure, said: “First and foremost, we feel for the people whose jobs are at risk. We are arranging to meet with Lakeland Arts to discuss the situation."