Organisers of an Island festival are in talks with Swale council to take over running a town centre museum.

In July, we reported the local authority was looking for someone to take on Sheerness Heritage Centre as it owns the Grade II listed building where it is located.

The group behind the Sheppey Promenade Festival, an annual a three-day celebration of the Island’s history and heritage, is in negotiations to run the Rose Street site.

Chairman Chris Reed said she would prefer to keep the festival group’s vision for the centre, which opened in 1989, “under our hats”, but said it would involve making the place, “much lovelier, much more interactive” and it would also have changing themes. She said the group was applying to become a registered charity.

Volunteers Paul Dummott and Gaynor Akehurst had looked after the site for many years, but the decision was taken not to renew their contracts.

It came following a review by the council of the leases and management arrangements of some of its heritage assets.

A meeting is due to take place between Swale council and the Sheppey Promenade Festival in January.