A FORMER wine bar has been bought by council bosses for £500,000 to make way for a multi-million pound masterplan for Blackburn Museum.

The Bentley’s site in Exchange Street will be demolished.

Bosses hope it will become the new entrance to the museum, connecting it to the town hall square.

The work forms phase one of the £20million scheme which is dependent on a bid to the Heritage Lottery for funding.

Opposition councillors described the £500,000 purchase as “unwise” with the project yet to get the green light.

But bosses insist the building, which also used to be a Natwest bank, would be a good investment even if the bid fails.

Executive member for resources Mike Lee said: “Even if it doesn’t go ahead, Bentley’s is still a good investment for the town because of its location.

“For £500,000, it’s still a good buy”.

One option that would be looked at if the bid failed would be to convert the building, which is currently vacant, into office accommodation for the council.

Labour group leader Kate Hollern said: “The reason it was bought was to be turned into a museum.

"If we don’t get that lottery money it will be turned into offices.

“I don’t think it’s wise to buy property until we get that money.”

Under the first phase of the museum plan, a gallery, a cafe and a shop would all feature in what bosses call a “prominent and prestigious entrance”.

It is also hoped the North West Development Agency would provide funding to the project under the scheme to create as “knowledge zone” in Blackburn centre.

As revealed by the Lancashire Telegraph last month, the second, long-term phase of the plans includes reopening a museum in the former Lewis Textile Museum, which is currently a drugs rehab centre.

Bosses hope works from London’s National Gallery and Victoria and Albert museum will feature in the expanded Blackburn museum.

It is understood complications related to the ballooning cost of the London Olympics have meant the funding bid has to be split up into two, £10million, phases.