Nottingham Labour is proposing to re-open the Castle for the people of Nottingham in June 2023, subject to approval.
A report to be considered by the council’s Executive Board on Tuesday 21 March recommends spending up to £2.1m over the next three years.
The council’s Museum and Galleries service has experience of managing nationally-renowned heritage sites such as Wollaton Hall and Newstead Abbey. Since the insolvency of the Castle Trust in November last year, the service has been working hard to come up with a plan to reopen the Castle.
Portfolio holder for Leisure, Culture and Planning Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis said: “We have had an incredible amount of investment and refurbishments carried out on the Castle, so the proposal is to review the pricing strategy and governance arrangements to make sure the Castle is inclusive and accessible to all.
“We are proud that at a time of difficulty we have been able to mobilise quickly and that we will be able to reopen such an integral part of what it means to be Nottingham in time for the summer season.
“In Nottingham we are ambitious to be a child-friendly city and we believe that accessing the Castle and learning about the history of the site and of Nottingham in general is especially important for families and young people.
“When the Castle is reopened we will ensure that the exhibitions will be representative of all our diverse communities across the city and that they will celebrate Nottingham and its people, to whom the Castle truly belongs.”
The proposal for Executive Board also includes early engagement events in the Castle grounds in May. Further details about a proposed programme of activities and pricing structure will follow.