A RISCA museum is under threat of closure after Caerphilly County Borough Council expressed an interest in selling the building that houses it.
Oxford House Industrial History Museum, in Grove Road, has held a collection of memorabilia and artefacts from the industrial history of the area for the last 18 years.
Museum director Brian Absolon said the building is on the council’s “hit list” and if sold, the collection would need to be disbanded, causing the museum to be “lost forever”.
A Caerphilly council spokesman confirmed that the authority is in talks with the museum to “agree a way forward should the council proceed to dispose of the building”.
Mr Absolon said: “We’re a small organisation, we’re not cash rich. It’s wrong to try and close us down and disband what we’ve got here.”
The museum helps to commemorate the Risca area’s coal mining, iron industry, tram roads and railways and is run by the Oxford House Industrial History Society.
The society, which has around 50 members, pays a fee to Caerphilly council to occupy the ground floor of the building, with the upstairs formerly hosting educational services for adults with learning difficulties.
Mr Absolon added: “The council have taken the education out of the building because they said the building wasn’t fit for purpose but since they had the building, they haven’t maintained it. It’s their own fault.
“If you disband this museum it will be lost forever. We’re on the hit list.”
The museum is housed in a grade two listed building, built in 1916, which was a former Collier’s Institute.
Mr Absolon added: “We’ve got a 30-year lease here and we think it’s quite a good bargaining chip but we’re still concerned with what will happen to us. The council still own the building but they can’t just turf us out, it’s just not right.”
A Caerphilly council spokesman said: “The Risca Industrial History Museum is based at the former Collier’s Institute in Risca, not at Oxford House, however the two buildings are on one site.
“While the council’s adult education budget has been reduced, Oxford House will continue to house adult education provision for the academic year 2014/15.
“Where previously the adjacent Collier’s building was also used for learning, this building will not be used for any learning in the future. All learning that previously took place in the Collier’s building has been transferred to Oxford House.
“The council is currently in discussions with the society who run the Industrial History Museum to agree a way forward should the council proceed to dispose of the building following the transfer of adult education service provision from the Collier’s building to Oxford House.”
Mr Absolon said the society, which has been in existence for 40 years, has spoken to Risca Town Council who have offered to help the museum in any way they can.