Stowmarket’s Food Museum requests £1.5m from Mid Suffolk District Council as part of major revamp project

A town's museum has requested £1.5 million from a council as part of a major revamp project.

Cllrs Tim Weller and Teresa Davies will be asking other Mid Suffolk cabinet members to approve a £1.5 million investment package for the Food Museum, in Iliffe Way, Stowmarket, on Tuesday next week.

The museum has requested the money as part of the Branching Out project's next phase, aiming to attract as many as 100,000 visitors per year by 2030 — 30,000 visitors over and above current visitor numbers.

Cllr Weller said: “If agreed, this funding will be the catalyst for the next phase of the Food Museum’s impressive transformation.

“It would mean the museum can deliver further improvements to the site and attract more visitors, while also enabling its commercial activities to support the delivery of its educational mission and community work.”

The full price tag for the project's building works is estimated at £5.67 million, with £3.95 million in match funding sought from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF).

Mid Suffolk Council is being asked to contribute £1 million in grant funding as well as £533,000 in the form of a loan should the museum fail to fund-raise enough money.

The council's report says approving the funding is the preferred option to avoid any delays and increase in cost.

It says: "There is no doubt that Mid Suffolk’s support will make a significant difference to the museum’s ability to deliver this project successfully and to secure additional investment into the area."

Works included as part of the project include the restoration of The Barn, Stowmarket's oldest surviving building, the refurbishment of The Factory and The House.

The museum is looking to have official permission to start by September and complete by the end of March 2027.

During the meeting, cabinet members will be asked to endorse a further £100,000 investment to build accessibility features, including a disabled toilet, automated doors and a lift to the first floor of the refurbished Factory.

The money would come from the council's Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) pot, a charge local authorities can impose on new developments designed to deliver adequate infrastructure to accommodate growth.