The City Council estimates that by selling items by British painter Sir Alfred Munnings and the French sculptor Auguste Rodin it will be able to get at least £5m in funds if the plan is approved by the Attorney General.

Opponents who compose the Southampton Save Our Collection Group are afraid that if the plan goes successfully in the future more works will be sold off for less suitable reasons. Directly before the meeting took place the group staged a protest and gave councilmen a petition before the vote occurred.

Protester Sue Mullen stated that the council does not need to start selling art work and that it hurts the reputation of the city following up with the question that once the city starts by selling two works when will it stop?

The city on the other hand plans to use the funds it raises to create a £15m heritage centre with the help of a £4.5m Heritage Lottery Fund grant for the building of the new centre.

In response to protesters Councillor John Hannides said that the city is not planning on selling any more pieces of art outside of the two planned pieces. He continued to say that the construction of the new centre would allow the city to display more work from the British 20th and 21st century.

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