A SCOTTISH museum is set to reopen in a major U-turn by Edinburgh's Labour-led council.
The People's Story Museum on the Royal Mile charts the day-to-day experiences of ordinary citizens in the capital from the late 18th century to today, and was mothballed due to the council trying to save money last month.
The council announced last night that the museum will now reopen to the public following public backlash.
An activist previously took aim at Edinburgh Council for treating people from working-class communities in the city “as an afterthought” following the closure.
Edinburgh City Council has now said "based on public feedback," council officers had worked to "identify funding and resource" to reopen the museum.
The museum is set to reopen Monday 2 December.
Culture and communities convener Val Walker, said: "After initially proposing a temporary winter closure for the museum, we listened closely to the community’s passionate feedback, and I'm delighted to announce that we will reopen the museum on Monday 2 December.
"It’s a special museum where all exhibits are inspired by the voices of Edinburgh’s own people, drawn from oral histories and written accounts to share authentic stories. The collections showcase this with items such as Friendly Society regalia, banners, and materials representing Edinburgh’s diverse communities.
"We look forward to welcoming visitors back through the museum's doors."
Campaign leader of #SaveThePeopleStory Jim Slaven reacted to the news, calling it "only a first step".
He added: "For the museum to have a successful future it must be in the Tolbooth and it must be curated properly, cared for and invested in. That is going to involve a lot of work. Not just from council staff, but from everyone who want it to succeed. It can be done."
The decision to close came against the backdrop of a projected £26.7 million overspend by the council in the current year. However, the proposed scaling-back of museum access was only expected to save £205,000 - less than 1% of the forecasted budget deficit.
A report on the new operating model for Museums and Galleries will be brought to December’s meeting of the culture and communities committee.
