The council is set to officially sign off plans to provide a new roof for Bury Art Museum to protect the grand building for the next generation.

Back in February, it was announced that “urgent repairs” were needed on the Grade II listed building as it was under threat from "physical fabric loss" caused by numerous failings in the roof allowing rainwater to enter the spaces below.

But the council secured a grant of £589,545 from the Arts Council to carry out these essential works, complemented by £65,505 from the local authority.

A condition of the grant is that the Moss Street building will continue to be an accredited museum for at least 15 years.

And members of the council’s cabinet are due to approve the timescales and procurement of a contractor when they meet next week on Wednesday, September 25.

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Cllr Charlotte Morris, cabinet member for culture, the economy and skills, said: “This is great news for the future of Bury Art Museum, which plays such a central role in the cultural life of our borough.

“We are constantly working with our partners to promote our cultural strategy, fostering new talent and creating an exciting programme of events, from the Bury Art Festival and the Food and Drink Festival to Bury Pride and National Heritage Weekend.

“It is essential that the art museum is fit for purpose and the repair of the roof is key to both protecting the collection, preserving the listed building and contributing to the delivery of our Let’s Do It! strategy.”

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The building was opened in 1901 and is home to more than 2,000 works of art and 60,000 museum artefacts.

The building is situated in Bury’s conservation zone and houses the borough’s treasures.

The art gallery was specially built to house the Wrigley Collection, around 200 oil paintings, watercolours, prints and ceramics collected by paper manufacturer Thomas Wrigley.

His three children gave the collection to the townsfolk of Bury in 1897.

Among the notable oil paintings on display are JMW Turner’s "Calais Sands at Low Water", Poissard’s "Collecting Bait", Sir Edwin Landseer’s "The Random Shot" and Lady Elizabeth Butler’s "Listed For The Connaught Rangers".