BLACKBURN'S famous Lewis Textile museum is set to re-open in the autumn -- four years after a council closed it down to save money.

The Lewis was shut to the public four years ago as part of a £4million package of cuts implemented by Blackburn with Darwen Council in a bid to bring its budget under control.

But the decision was criticised today after it was revealed reopening the once popular museum will help boost the authority's chance of receiving lottery grants.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Coun Paul Browne accused the council of reopening it just to "suit its needs".

An initial public outcry led to part of the museum -- which was donated to the town in 1936 by industrialist Thomas Lewis -- being kept open, but only to school parties.

The council had at one stage planned to move the exhibits into its main museum and use the Lewis for office space.

The decision to reopen the museum, which tells the story of Blackburn's industrial past and its role in the cotton industry, has been taken to help boost the council's future lottery bids for improvements to the main museum and art gallery.

If the museum is open to the public it will stand a better chance of securing grantsas it will be seen as "demonstrating a demand" for the museum.

Coun Browne said: "It's typical of this Labour group that it has been shut for four years, and now plan to reopen it because they can get more money.

"The other leaders didn't even know that the museum was going to reopen. We never hear of anything."

Stephen Whittle, museum manager, said any lottery grant would be spent on linking the textile museum with the main museum, and defended the plan to reopen it.

He said: "The lottery would look more kindly if we are seen to be doing something positive and using the museum to the best of our resources.

"We are making the most efficient use of the facility and providing the best public service." The announcement was made as work got underway on a £500,000 lottery-funded facelift at Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery.

An estimated £10,000 a year was saved when the Lewis museum closed to the public. Some exhibits were removed, although restricted access for educational purposes was still allowed.

It will reopen on September 21 and be open from Tuesday to Saturday every week. Coun Kate Hollern, in charge of that department, said: "We have taken the decision to re-open it to improve the variety of facilities for people in the borough."

Re-opening should also help the council meet Government-set targets relating to the amount of money spent on museums per head of the population and also the number of visitors museums in the borough receive.

Coun Hollern added: "We will be applying for registration in July. By opening the museum to the public, we will strengthen our bid to become registered."

Blackburn Artists Society, who used to exhibit regularly at the Lewis, have been invited to put on the first exhibition in the first floor gallery.

Doug Chadwick, chairman of the Blackburn Civic Society, said: "It is splendid news that the Lewis is going to re-open to the public. We were very disappointed when it closed despite the opposition to it and we were worried when the council planned to use it for office space."