New fears for fate of town hall’s treasures

Durham’s Charter Trustees have been trying to wrestle ownership of the contents of Durham Town Hall from Durham County Council since the council took over responsibility for the items from the now-defunct Durham City Council, in April 2009.

Trustees say the treasures belong to the people of Durham City and should be in their care until a proposed new Durham Town Council can take over.

However, Durham County Council’s cabinet yesterday ruled out transferring all the property to the trustees, agreeing only to negotiations on items of ceremonial and historic value.

The treasures include dozens of paintings, coats of arms, robes and items linked to Joseph Boruwlaski, a 19th Century Polish dwarf known as the Little Count Colette Longbottom, the council’s head of legal and democratic services, said it had no intention to remove property from Durham Town Hall.

However, trustee Grenville Holland said: “The county council has deliberately ignored the charter trustees and chosen to disregard their clearly-expressed concerns about the long-term welfare of the many civic treasures housed in the town hall.

“If these treasures are simply left to the whims of County Hall, then there is nothing to prevent them from being scattered far and wide round the county and maybe further afield.

“Since it took control of our affairs, the county council has been systematically unravelling the fabric of Durham City. Before the damage is irreparable, the residents and their trustees must call a halt.”

But Durham County Council leader Simon Henig said: “At every stage, this cabinet and council has demonstrated its good faith with the historic institutions of Durham City.

“It’s hard to see what more could be done to demonstrate that faith. It (Durham Town Hall) is a great asset to the county. I would hope we can find an amicable way forward based on that good faith.”