CIVIC chiefs are set to back a £2.1m Poole Museum Heritage Lottery Fund bid.

Borough of Poole (BOP) cabinet members convene next week, when the lottery bid - to bankroll conservation and improvement work at the museum - will be high on their agenda.

A report by Kevin McErlane, head of culture and community at BOP, recommends cabinet backs the proposals, and asks full council to follow suit.

The grant bid includes an agreement to allocate £50,000 from the council's capital contingency fund, and seeks approval for up to £200,000 external borrowing.

In time this £200,000 should be repaid from growth in museum income, officers say.

The report, citing figures from Visit England 2017, also reveals Poole Museum is already Dorset's most popular free attraction, and the fifth most popular in the south west.

Mr McErlane explained: "The main outcomes of the project will be to conserve and secure the long term future of a unique medieval Grade I listed building, whilst transforming it into a stunning large and accessible public space.

"The scheme will also increase the museum's display space to enable this popular and successful service to display more of Poole's heritage and attract even more visitors to the town and the quay."

The borough's HLF application, if approved by cabinet and full council, will consist of two rounds.

A round one bid, for £250,000 to progress with scheme design and development, will be made in August this year.

If successful, the council will then submit a round two bid of £1.9m in 2020, with the conservation and improvement works taking place over the proceeding two years.

Mr McErlane explained: "Poole Museum Service is the guardian of Poole's remarkable heritage for current and future generations.

"An enhanced museum offer will support many of the council's strategic priorities and provide a beacon for Poole's identity as a great place to live, work and visit.

"A stronger regional heritage offer at the quay will support Poole's tourism sector and the vibrancy of the local economy."

BOP's cabinet meets at Poole Civic Centre at 7pm on July 10.