Council chiefs has set aside up to £900,000 to preserve one of the town’s museums or its exhibits.

Cheshire East Council has agreed to potentially spend £450k on West Park Museum for each of the next two years.

The museum, which was built in 1854, is well known for its interesting collection of Egyptian artefacts collected by Marianne Brocklehurst between 1873 and 1891.

Other exhibits in the museum include a Giant Panda and a collection of art work by local artist Charles Tunnicliffe.

But the museum building on Prestbury Road, is in desperate need of repair, refurbishment and upgrading.

Last year the Egyptian collection was put into storage because damp problems risked wrecking the previous artefacts which include a mummy mask made of textile and papyrus.

At the time Sue Hughes, museum director, cast doubt on the future of the museum because its had no toilet facilities for school groups and was not getting as many visitors as curators had hoped.

It also emerged museum bosses were applying for funding to create a new exhibition at the Old Sunday School to create a new home for the collection.

The council claims the £900,000 is a back up plan while the Silk Heritage Trust, the charity which runs the museum, develops a business plan which is less reliant on council funding but will preserve the collection and get it back on show to visitors.

A Cheshire East Council spokesman said: “The council’s budget proposal is no more than an allocation to identify a potential call on funding in future years. No decision has yet been made as to whether this funding will be required to be spent on the West Park Museum or not. It simply allows provision to be made should the council consider investment up to that level in future years.

“The Silk Heritage Trust has been developing a new business plan that is less reliant on core funding from the council.

“The council has been supporting the Trust to undertake this review and allocate resources accordingly. The council continues to support the museum in its plans to move towards greater financial independence. Cheshire East Council is committed to supporting the borough’s rich cultural heritage for the benefit of residents and visitors.”