A PROPOSED lottery grant to transform the Platform Gallery in Clitheroe will not be enough to complete the project, councillors have been told.

Plans have been in the pipeline for about 12 months, but met a stumbling block at a meeting when it was revealed that councillors will have to prioritise work.

Although the majority of the Ribble Valley Borough Council's community committee are in favour of the face-lift, there was a question mark hanging over the plans - how far will a £100,000 grant stretch.

Funding has not yet been secured and it is hoped that it will be forthcoming from the North West Arts Board.

But the ballpark figure of £100,000 will not cover all of the ideas for modernisation that were put forward by public consultation.

Committee members heard that the proposed grant could be used to increase and improve gallery, retail and education space, improve the gallery's exterior image and disabled access and to create a cafe area. But schemes that have been drawn up by council-appointed architects, The Design Network, cannot be costed until the council has a better idea as to what changes and modernisations it wants to implement.

Looking at several outline plans, councillors pressed for a firmer idea as to what changes they could expect to see if the funding is secured and which of the facilities £100,000 would buy.

Council officer Chris Hughes stressed that in order to bid for arts board monies, the council has to have outline ideas.

Several members agreed that there were already plenty of cafes in the town and that should be a low priority. Other stressed the need to ensure disabled access and mobility at the gallery was optimum.

Some concerns were raised about retail space as the gallery was a platform for artists and craftsmen to display and sell their work.

They resolved to allow council officers to complete the lottery application and discuss the plans at a future meeting.

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