Cabinet agreed the following:
1. To complete an initial, and any necessary subsequent applications, for up to £250,000 funding from Heritage Lottery Fund through the Resilient Heritage programme in order to undertake a full strategic review of museums, including feasibility studies, business planning, legal advice, and governance reviews;
2. To pursue the potential of establishing a new museum on the Tudor House site incorporating the collections from both current sites of the Margate Museum, and subject to a fully costed business case agrees to the establishment of the same;
3. To establish the Dickens House Museum as a formal Trust and register this with the Charity Commission;
4. To seek the transfer of the Joyce Smith bequest into the new Trust, and seek agreement with the Dickens House Fellowship to utilise the funds in line with the bequest to support the full costs of operating the museum, backlog maintenance, and any necessary feasibility work;
5. To take this opportunity to formally acknowledge and thank volunteers across Thanet whose hard work and dedication are continuing to support the museums.