Peel Commissioners are carrying out a ’preliminary’ check to see if the Leece Museum and Ward Library should be relocated.

The commissioners will be looking into whether shifting the separate public museum and library into the Philip Christian Centre on Derby Road is a more practical move.

Derek Sewell, clerk of the commissioners, said: ’It’s a preliminary idea. The commissioners haven’t made a decision.

’The commissioners allocated budget in November 2017 to see if it would be feasible to do with our buildings.’

He explained that the integration would help to ’deliver all our services from one site’ as it would link in with the town hall next door.

’The Philip Christian Centre has car parking right next to it and it’s more accessible from town,’ he said.

’We’ve employed an architect to do the work and will be expecting a report back with its practicality on March 31, 2019. It really is very early.’

He added: ’We’ve got existing tenants and employees to consider and so we’ve talked to people in advance and will be keeping in contact with them.’

Roy Baker from Leece Museum on the East Quay told the Manx Independent that he didn’t know much about the idea.

’I’m in the dark about it,’ he said.

’If it happens, it happens, but it will be years down the line if it ever does happen.

He added that the benefits of moving to the Philip Christian Centre would include ample parking and easy access.

The Leece Museum was established by the late Eddie Leece - a former head teacher of Peel Clothworkers primary school and town commissioner - in 1984 along with Frank Quayle, who was the museum’s curator for the first 15 years of it being set up.

Mr Baker continued: ’I’ve been working here since it relocated and opened its doors [on the East Quay] on June 2000. Before that it was in the basement of Castle Apartments next to the library.

’Eddie Leece got this building which he was very, very proud of and also with the work I’d done.’

When asked if Mr Leece would have been happy about the possible relocation, Mr Baker replied: ’I don’t think he would be.’

Identities

On October 30, the Isle of Man Examiner published a reader’s letter.

The author expressed his concern saying that the possibility of moving the Leece Museum and Ward Library would lead to a loss of identities of both.

The Ward Library, on Castle Street, was opened in 1917 by James Kewley - a Peel man who had donated £1,000 towards the cost of a public library being established in his native country while he was in Canada.

The Philip Christian Centre, which has two main halls, small meeting rooms and two kitchens, can be hired by private, corporate or community groups.