THE creation of a new, independent organisation to run arts, museums and heritage across the county will be discussed by Hampshire County Council tomorrow.

The county and Winchester city councils are finalising plans for a new charitable company, the Hampshire Solent Cultural Trust.

The council’s Culture, Communities and Rural Affairs Select Committee will be asked to scrutinise the business case for the proposed trust. Because the cultural trust would be a larger organisation, and have charitable status, it could generate significant additional investment and attract highprofile national exhibitions.

The two councils – which would continue to provide funding to the trust through annual grants – could together save £530,000 per annum over five years, and attract an estimated £2- £2.5million of investment.

The original idea was for Hampshire and Winchester to merge with Southampton and Portsmouth but the two unitary authorities have decided against getting involved.

Councillor Keith Chapman, Executive Member for Culture, Recreation and Countryside, said: “Under these proposals, museum collections would be loaned to the new trust, and new acquisitions would be held in trust on behalf of the councils.

With Winchester and Hampshire bringing their collections together in this way, this unites the county’s story together with its collections for the first time and should ensure some of the best collections in the country are safeguarded for future generations.”

Cllr Chapman will consider whether to go ahead with establishing the trust, at his meeting on September 25.

A final decision regarding the transfer of services will take place in spring 2014.