The council will donate more than £250,000 to save one of Evesham's most iconic sites.
At an extraordinary meeting, town councillors agreed to provide the funding necessary to help repair the Almonry.
The restoration project will cost £2.6 million in total, with most of this expected to come from the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND).
In order to make an application to the fund, 10 per cent must come from other sources, with the council agreeing to put forward £260,000.
Ashleigh Jayes, manager at the Almonry Manager, said: “This is an amazing opportunity for the Almonry.
“The building was placed on the Heritage at Risk Register in 2016 and capital grants such as this are few and far between.
“We were fortunate enough to receive some funding last year to carry out a series of extensive surveys on the building and we are able to see just how much work is needed to save this beautiful building.
“The Almonry is so special, it’s history from the days of the Abbey to when it first opened as a museum in the 1950s means it’s historical and cultural value are priceless, and this project will ensure the building remains open and a part of the community long into the future.”
She added: “Being a Grade I listed building will have its challenges with the heating and lighting and particularly with improving access, but we are working with experts to ensure that whatever improvements we make are appropriate to the building.”
READ MORE: Council to decided on whether to support £2.6m refurb of historic landmark
The MEND was launched by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in 2021 to deliver capital funding to non-national museums and local authorities.
Round two of the funding opened in April 2022 with a total of £16.9m being made available.
Following a competitive pre-application round, the Almonry was invited to apply for a grant to fund the restoration.
Alongside essential repairs and restoration to the fabric of the building, the project will see the replacement of out-of-date wiring, electrical installations and heating as well as improvements to access.
READ MORE: Reenactors complete medieval pilgrimage to help save the Almonry
Councillor Andrew Dyke said: “This is an exciting proposal for the Almonry Building, which is in a very unstable condition.
“This proposal sounds like a huge amount we are expecting our residents to pay.
“The council are fully aware of the consequences of providing the loan and there will, especially at the present time.
“There will be a period of consultation where the public can make their feelings known.
“A recent poll on the proposals taken on the Almonry Website was almost 100 per cent in favour of transforming the 600 years old listed building to a modern museum, still retaining all of the grade one listed attributes.”
The final application to MEND must be submitted by the end of September with the decision made in Spring 2023.
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