ART lecturer John Mullin is pressing for Bretton Hall to be transformed into ‘the biggest and best architecture museum in the world’ .
A student at the college in the 1970s, he is hoping local authorities and the public will be inspired by his bold and ambitious vision for the 18th century landscaped estate and has expressed his interest to the council.
The hall faces an uncertain future since Wakefield Council recently revealed plans to lease the 87-hectares site as a 'unique' business opportunity.
It was announced in June 2006 the estate, currently home to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and Bretton Country Park, was to be sold to the council because it was no longer viable for the University of Leeds to run as a campus and the last students will leave this summer.
Mr Mullin, who set up Harrogate-based Architecture for Children, hopes to persuade the three councils involved — Barnsley, Wakefield and Kirklees — to work together (as they did for the National Coal Mining Museum) to create a massive cultural project which he believes would bring hundreds of jobs and millions of pounds in regeneration investment to the region.
