A FORMER city councillor has criticised plans to bring in admission fees for two museums in Winchester.

Last month it was revealed that the City Museum and the Westgate, both operated by Hampshire Cultural Trust, will introduce a ticketing system from March 31.

And at a Winchester City Council cabinet meeting fingers were pointed at civic chiefs as to its involvement in the decision.

Former councillor and Labour group leader Patrick Davies used public participation time to ask the council whether they had any say in the changes.

He said: “Many years ago charges were imposed when I was a city councillor which I vigorously opposed at the time, within a year or so they were taken off because the attendance had dropped so much, that is the simple issue, what is the relationship between yourselves and the cultural trust on these policy issues.”

But the involvement of the council was clarified by authority chief executive Laura Taylor.

Ms Taylor said: “Winchester City Council along with Hampshire County Council was a founding member of the Hampshire Culture Trust and as part of that arrangement all of our cultural and heritage assets owned by the city council have been transferred for operational and strategical development into the trust and charging matters come into the arrangements for which they have responsibility.

“We have members who are on the board and we have observer members and one of our strategic directors has regular meetings with the officers of the trust and we were advised of the charges shortly before the press released the information.”

And this was backed up by leader Cllr Lucille Thompson, who said: “No, we don’t have any say, that is entirely a matter for the trust and their dealings with it I’m afraid.”

As previously reported, the trust plans to use the additional money to fund staffing and put on a programme of events reflecting the city’s heritage, including period music, family activities and re-enactments.