BRIDPORT: The town council has agreed to put £5,000 towards the proposed £1.2million museum refurbishment project.

Councillors hope showing financial support will increase the odds of the success of the Heritage Lottery Fund bid.

The museum already has £97,000 from the lottery for the first phase of the development.

Town clerk Bob Gillis said it was already a great achievement to get that amount of money to enable them to develop the attraction.

He said: “The project is about improving the building, improving their collections and making the building more accessible and carrying out essential repair work.

“The project will involve new displays throughout the building showing Bridport’s huge variety of collections, which also include Jurassic Coast fossils, archaeology, fine art, social history and natural history.

“Downstairs will be an exciting and multi-functional learning space. It will include activities such as dressing up, objects to handle and interactive games. It will have touch screens with photographs and more information on Bridport’s history and the museum collections.

“There are plans for new central heating which will allow year-round opening, a fully accessible public toilet and baby changing facilities and a lift.

“It is a very major project for the museum.”

Mr Gillis told councillors on the finance and general purposes committee that the pledge of money was in common with what the councils had done for other major Heritage Lottery projects in the town, such as the Literary and Scientific Institute.

He said the money would not be released unless the Lottery agreed to pay the £1.2million.

It is a project in keeping with all the other town council’s wish to see realised – the heritage trail.

Cllr Dave Rickard said there had been concerns that the district council would pull its funding for the museum.

He said: “Is there anything within this project which could guarantee that they will be able to continue running because I am a little bit concerned about spending £1.2million on a building that might have to close because the local council cannot afford to help run it.

“They don’t charge for entry.

“I think basically we are in favour there is just a question mark hanging over it.

“Alongside this we need to get a bit of a long-term guarantee from the district that it will be here for the next five years at least if we are putting this money in.”

Mr Gillis said the town council had made very strong representations to the district to continue funding the museum.

He said: “Obviously a project like this can only enhance the attractiveness of the museum.”

Town surveyor Daryl Chambers said: “It is effectively making the museum fit for purpose.”