SOUTHEND Council has come under fire for not manning its museum service during the school summer holidays.

Central Museum in Victoria Avenue is currently only open on Sunday from 11am to 4pm.

Historic Southchurch Hall, a family favourite in the summer months, is closed for the whole of August.

The Planetarium, an educational guide to the solar system at Central Museum, remains shut “until further notice”.

A consultation on cutting opening hours at the venues is under way with proposals to cut staffing levels.

Staff are said to have been told to reapply for their jobs.

Unison regional organiser Leon Kilbourn said: “Southend’s museums should be cultural and historical centres at the heart of our community – but instead they’re being starved to death by the council.”

Mr Kilburn added: “It’s no way to treat staff who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic, volunteering for redeployment to get Southend through the crisis.

“Southend Council should abandon this cuts programme and get back to providing quality museums service for local residents and visitors.”

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Tony Cox, Conservative leader, also criticised the cuts.

He said: “This doesn’t come as a surprise. It was proposed in the budget and our group rejected it.

“It was a rotten budget creating a rotten service with a rotten outcome.”

Cllr Carole Mulroney, Liberal Democrat cabinet member for environment, culture, tourism and planning, said: “Our museums are a fantastic part of our cultural offer in the borough, and in order for residents and visitors to get the best out of them, we are in the process of retraining our staff following an extensive consultation period, so they can offer a greater visitor experience for residents and visitors.

“But that doesn’t mean there is nothing to see or nowhere to go in Southend.”

She added: “Whilst the timing is unfortunate and we apologise for that, it is because we are planning a major new exhibit which necessitates closing off parts of the Central Museum and there have been some unforeseen delays as part of staff restructuring process."