Historic Ipswich Museum battles cost crisis as revamp bill soars

Why it matters: The budget overrun threatens to impact the scale of planned improvements to one of Ipswich's key cultural landmarks.

The big picture: The renovation project, which began when the High Street museum closed in October 2022, was originally budgeted at £8.7m. The works include:

• An additional gallery

• New educational space

• A new café

• Improved shop facilities

• Enhanced toilets

By the numbers:

• Original budget: £8.7m

• Current cost: £11.4m

• Shortfall: £2.7m

What they're saying: "We cannot just ponder on it, we have got to deal with it," Carole Jones, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Museums at Ipswich Borough Council, told the BBC. "All the way along we have tried to cut back, but they're relatively small things and even though we cut several thousands of pounds from the plans we were still left with something substantial to find."

The details: Council officers are exploring multiple funding routes, including:

• Applying for £1.3m in additional lottery funding

• Using £113,000 from a business rates overvaluation

• Matching lottery funding with council money

What's next: To address the shortfall, the council is considering scaling back some plans, including:

• Removing hanging exhibits from ceilings

• Reducing the scope of some displays

The bottom line: While the summer 2025 reopening remains the hoped-for target, council leaders must balance preserving the museum's heritage with financial constraints. "We have to put our building back together again for everyone in Ipswich and our visitors," Jones told the BBC. "We're determined to do the right thing for the building, for its history and for its future." She hopes the financial shortfall will not delay the re-opening.