MILLIONS of pounds will be used to fix the leaking roof of an iconic city art gallery.
Southampton’s City Art Gallery has been described as a crown jewel.
However, the site off Commercial Road is suffering from poor air quality and dampness.
The Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) has now awarded £2.23m towards repairs.
Work currently on display includes art by Laurence Stephen Lowry, Claude Monet, Lucian Freud, the Camden Town Group, Cesare Da Sesto, and Roland Penrose.
The revamp is due to start this year and is hoped to be completed in 2024.
It will involve repairing the asphalt roof, air conditioning and heating, skylights and windows.
In February, plans were revealed by the council to upgrade part of the civic centre including replacing the ventilation units and asphalt coverings.
The proposals state that the gallery also needs to be waterproofed.
- READ MORE: Art could be sold for £1.4m gallery repairs
Administered by Arts Council England, the Museum Estates and Development Fund lets museums do vital infrastructure and urgent maintenance beyond the scope of everyday budgets.
Leader of Southampton City Council, Cllr Satvir Kaur said: “A massive thank you to DCMS and ACE - we’re absolutely thrilled to receive this funding from the Museum and Estates Development Fund towards the Art Gallery.
"We care very much about our cultural heritage and this will help us to preserve this jewel in our city’s crown for current and future generations, both within our city and the many that come to Southampton especially to visit our world-class art collection.
"Our inward investment from bidding for UK City of Culture now stands at over £15m, all helping to grow our city, put Southampton on the map regionally and nationally, while saving local tax-payers money too.”
Phil Gibby, Arts Council area director, added: "We’re delighted to confirm support for the Southampton City Museum and Art gallery today – the latest cultural investment boost for the city.
"At the Arts Council, we believe in more people having access to a range of excellent arts, culture and creativity right on their doorstep – so we’re delighted that the organisations announced today will help us to make that a reality - by helping to grow local economies and safeguard our fantastic collections for the future.”
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