Decision details
Deaccessioning of items from the council’s museum collections
Decision Maker: Head of Communites, Wellbeing and Partnerships - Richard Gibson
Decision status: For Determination
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Decision:
In accordance with Section 15 of Cheltenham
Borough Council’s Collections Development Policy (approved
April 2025), the items identified in the attached Appendices will
be deaccessioned from the Council’s collections by The
Cheltenham Trust, in-line with the Interim Collections Development
Policy 2025-2027 and working within the parameters of the Museum
Association Code of Ethics when considering acquisition and
disposal
The items identified in Appendix 1 will be deaccessioned in
accordance with the following criteria – the objects are in
poor condition and are a health and safety risk.
The items in Appendix 2 will be deaccessioned in accordance with
the following criteria - the items are not relevant to the
collections
Reasons for the decision:
The Wilson is a
museum accredited by Arts Council England. The museum collections
are under the custodianship of the Council and are managed by the
Cheltenham Trust under the management agreement between the Council
and the Trust for the delivery of leisure and culture
services.
In order to maintain, develop and safeguard the collections for
future generations, the Council and the Trust will keep the
collections under review in line with the Interim Collections
Development Policy.
The items identified in the attached Appendix 1 are from the
Council’s taxidermy collection, and date back to the
Edwardian era. These items are deteriorating, and because arsenic
and mercury were historically used in the preservation process,
harmful chemicals are now being released into the air within the
storage area—the Museum’s tower.
This poses risks for CBC staff and external contractors who must
access the area, requiring them to wear full PPE, which increases
maintenance costs for CBC.
To address the issue, the Curatorial team at The Wilson have
completed their due diligence on the items and these will be
disposed of because they are classed as a health and safety hazard
due to the presence of toxic chemicals such as arsenic, mercury and
copper.
By disposing of these objects from the Council’s collections
the Council is ensuring that the health and safety risks, legal and
regulatory risks, financial risks, operational risks and
reputational risks of not disposing of the objects has been
mitigated.
This disposal due to health and safety risks enables the Council to
ensure it can maintain, develop and safeguard the museum
collections for the future generations of the people of
Cheltenham.
The items identified in the attached Appendix 2 will be disposed of
via direct gift to another accredited museum as they relate more
closely to the Collections Development Policies of the Dean
Heritage Centre, Milestones Museum and Eyam Museum.
By disposing of these objects from the Council’s collections
via direct gift to another accredited museum it is possible for
these objects to be shared with and enjoyed by communities and
audiences within a more appropriate context.
This transfer via direct gift enables the Council to ensure it can
maintain, develop and safeguard the museum collections for the
future generations of the people of Cheltenham.
Background information: Interim Collections Development Policy 2025-2027
Alternative options considered:
All items are subject to a rigorous process,
as outlined above, before being identified as suitable for
deaccessioning and disposal.
Finance Comments: For the taxidermy disposals, the Trust obtained a quote from a specialist contractor. The proposal covers the removal and incineration of the collection, the hire of an air filtration/dust extraction system, and a thorough deep clean of the area to eliminate any disturbed dust. The cost of £6,250 is being funded from a one-off growth item approved within the Cultural Support Services budget.
Declarations: None.
Other reasons / organisations consulted
Consultation has been undertaken with Cllr.
Izaac Tailford, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Wellbeing,
Culture and Public Realm
The Cabinet member supports the decision.
Contact: Richard Gibson, Head of Communities, Wellbeing and Partnerships Email: [email protected].
Publication date: 03/07/2026
Date of decision: 30/06/2026
Accompanying Documents:
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