PLANS for how the Red House Museum will be funded once the new unitary council comes into being are still being considered.

A report due to be heard at Tuesday’s scrutiny committee meeting, was set to outline how the asset would be funded come April 1, 2019.

The issue was previously discussed by the joint management committee on October 1, with concerns raised over the limited involvement of the committee chairman and portfolio holders over the future of the museum under reorganisation.

Currently, the Red House Museum is owned by Hampshire County Council with the budget being shared between them, Dorset County Council and Christchurch Borough Council.

Dorset and Christchurch councils contribute £50,000 and Hampshire £102,000 towards the operational running costs of the museum.

However, no authority is committed beyond each financial year.

The agreement allows any of the parties to give six months notice to pull out of the agreement, something which is described as “precarious” in the report.

It adds: “It is difficult at this time to determine what sort of cultural offer the new council will want to take forward.”

Officers from Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Dorset have been “meeting regularly” to discuss the issue of culture, which includes museums, heritage, arts and libraries “in order to plan for a smooth transition to the new authority on Day One”.

And the report states the new unitary council will work with Hampshire to support the museum.

It also says BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) recently applied for funding towards a ‘new cultural strategy’ for the whole of the authority area.

“Following April 1, it is anticipated that as the new council becomes established, services restructured and budgets more realistically prepared, it will become apparent what ongoing suport can be given towards the future operation of the Red House Museum and all of the other museums and cultural services in the new authority area.”