New stair lift at Lancaster museum expected to be given go-ahead

Councillors are expected to approve plans for a new stair lift at Lancaster City Museum when they meet later this month.

The planning regulatory committee is being recommended to approve listed building consent for a replacement stair lift to be installed after almost two years without disabled access to the first floor of the museum.

If councilors meeting on April 28 approve the plan, it is hoped that the new stair lift will be in place by the end of May, meaning that anyone with mobility problems will be able to access the permanent displays of local history, including those of the King’s Own Regiment Museum.

The museum’s stairlift has been out of action since October 2023 following safety concerns.

The new facility will be able to accommodate heavier motorised wheelchairs as well as manual wheelchairs.

Lancaster City Museum is a Grade II* listed building which opened in 1781 as the town hall.

It became a museum in 1923.