An award-winning Devon museum could be forced to close its doors unless expensive repairs are carried out.
An extraordinary meeting of Exeter City Council has been called next week (August 25) to discuss putting more than a quarter of a million pounds towards the repairs.
A report to the meeting says one of two boilers at the city’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) has failed, while other systems in the building have reached the end of their operational lives.
Arts Council England is expected to come up with £2.4million towards the repairs alongside the council’s contribution of £260,000.
There are also hopes that the decking on the museum’s Roman Wall Bridge could be replaced as part of the repair project. The bridge, which offers views of the city’s ancient defences, has been closed for eight years as a result of the deterioration of the decking.
The report goes on: “One boiler has already failed, and the remaining boiler and chilled water systems are operating within failure periods, creating a significant risk to the continued operation of the museum.
“Failure of either system could result in the closure of RAMM and place nationally significant collections at risk.”
Officers say the remaining boiler could fail within the next two years.
Councillors will be told that approving the £260,000 contribution – which will have to be borrowed – will trigger the release of the Arts Council money.
A separate £665,000 capital allocation is also being recommended so the council can replace the existing boiler and chilled water systems if the funding bid fails, or if they break down before a decision on the funding is made.
The RAMM, in Queen Street, first opened in 1869 and has 16 galleries spanning zoology, anthropology, fine art, local and world archaeology and geology.
Its collections cover more than 300,000 years o life across Exeter and Devon. Notable exhibits include a vast natural history collection, including a famous giraffe named Gerald, and an exceptional collection of historic clocks and watches.
RAMM is a past winner of the prestigious Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year.
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