Sir Edward Leigh, the Conservative MP for Gainsborough, has objected to the proposal to close the Usher Gallery in Lincoln and turn it into an events venue.

“Shutting the Usher Gallery would be a great loss for Lincolnshire,” the MP of more than three decades’ service in the Commons said. “This building was specifically designed by one of the most prominent British architects of its era to house the collection amassed by James Ward Usher and very generously donated to the public.”

“The Usher Gallery is an excellent exhibition venue,” Sir Edward continued, “and a place that has inspired generations of artists, residents, children, and others who have lived in or travelled through our county over the past century.”

“The proposal to reduce it to a mere events venue and coroners’ office is most unwelcome. I have written to Lincolnshire County Council expressing my objections, and echoing the protests of my many constituents who appreciate the Usher Gallery and its importance for all of Lincolnshire.”