PROPOSALS for a new museum for Penarth are to be discussed publicly for the first time later this month, in an open forum hosted by the Penarth Civic Society.

While the plans are very much still in their infancy, the broad outlines of the proposal would be for an exhibition venue in the town, coupled alongside a more far-reaching project that could see displays being hosted around other parts of Penarth and an online virtual museum.

One of the ideas under consideration includes a suggestion to display a number of paintings currently housed in the vaults of the National Museum of Wales at Turner House, however there are understood to be a number of alternatives which will also be discussed.

Turner House is currently used to display photo exhibitions, which are run by the national development agency for photography in Wales, Ffotogallery

The civic society will be hosting an ‘exploratory forum’ at Foxy’s Deli, Victoria Road, Penarth on Wednesday, March 21 from 7pm, and are looking for members of the public to offer up any ideas they may have to formulate a broader ‘heritage strategy’.

The drop-in style event is being hosted by civic society members and event organisers Martin Gossage and Will Salter, who will also be displaying and discussing a number of local artifacts at the meeting.

The civic society are already in possession of their own collection of historical items linked to the town, which are currently stored at South Lodge in Alexandra Park.

No location has yet been established definitively for the project, with the event organisers at present only seeking to gather ideas from members of the public. A business plan is likely to be developed at a later date once a preferred suggestion has been selected.

Penarth Tourism and Visitor Association are also understood to be engaged in the process.

Input from the meeting will subsequently be collated into a strategy and action plan, which is likely to be presented during History Month in September 2018.

Mr Salter, who has extensive experience of museum and heritage practices said: “We need the public, businesses, statutory and non-statutory bodies to offer further thoughts and help us identify and include existing or planned heritage activity.”