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Thousands of people campaigning against the closure of the Swindon Museum have been urged to be patient as council heads prepare to unveil their plans for the future.
Swindon’s council has been criticized locally and nationally for shutting down the Bath Road building because it violated disability discrimination laws.
More than 3,000 people have signed a petition organized by the Friends of the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, calling for the installation to reopen.
The council has also been criticized by the industry’s professional body, the Museums Association, and the Council for British Archeology.
Activists accused the authority of shutting down the museum without a clear plan for its replacement.
But city councilor Robert Jandy, a member of the culture and heritage cabinet, said the council would make a major announcement next week.
“A lot of work is done behind the scenes. Nothing goes in storage. All relevant stakeholders are involved in in-depth conversations.
“Nothing is hidden and all options are discussed.
“We urge people to be patient and watch this space.
“We live in a democracy and people are passionate about what we have in Swindon – just like me.”
Cllr Jandy previously said the museum building needed hundreds of thousands of pounds of repairs, in addition to additional work to bring it into line with the Disability Discrimination Act.
The council has long-term plans to set up a new museum and gallery in a planned £ 77million cultural district in Kimmerfields in the city center.
He suggested that other administrative buildings could be used to showcase the collections that had been housed in the museum in the medium term.
But conservation organizations say it could be a poor substitute and the long-term plan is mired in uncertainty.
Council for British Archeology Executive Director Neil Redfern said in an open letter to the council:
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