A museum says it hopes to “resolve issues” soon with its landlord after a popular Halloween event was cancelled.
Chiltern Open Air Museum, in Chalfont St Peter, is funded by its commercial activities including regular events and filming for TV and movies.
However, after it was forced to cancel multiple plans, including its Halloween Spectacular on October 28, a campaign group (SCOAM) was launched to save the museum.
SCOAM wrote that landowner Comer Homes placed restrictions on the museum, which led to event cancellations that are “very important” revenue streams.
A group statement said: “As part of S106 planning agreement between Comer Homes and Buckinghamshire County Council, Comer Homes agreed to transfer the freehold of COAM’s land to the museum. This has not happened.”
But since launching two days ago, the campaigners said it has suspended action after hearing a positive update from the museum.
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The Chiltern Open Air Museum announced today: “Thanks again for all your support regarding the current situation we are in with our landlords.
“We just wanted to let you all know that they have now agreed to have a meeting with us and the local councillors.
“We hope that through this meeting, we will be able to resolve the issues.”
Staff at the museum said last week they were not given a reason for the “shock” move as the land owner blocked access to the field used for overflow parking.
The museum claimed Comer objected to any commercial activity, threatened injunctions, and blocked the gates to the fields used for parking with concrete blocks on one night’s notice.
However, Comer accused Chiltern of being in serious breach of its lease in recent months, including regularly holding events outside agreed timeframes with loud and disruptive music.
A spokesperson said: “Comer Homes is working with its tenant, COAM, to ensure all events and activities can go ahead as planned within the terms of the lease, and moving forward when the freehold transfer takes place, which is for the benefit of all visitors to the museum and Newland Park.”
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