Cheshire East Council has approved the relocation of its historic collections.
The collections, which were formerly located in Macclesfield’s West Park Museum, will be permanently relocated to the Silk Museum and Town Hall.
The economy and growth committee was today (Tuesday) unanimous in approving the permanent relocation because the West Park building has deteriorated and is no longer suitable to house the collections, which are owned by Cheshire East.
Many of the articles came from the international travels of members of the Macclesfield- based Brocklehurst family, whose wealth was made from silk manufacturing.
The collections also include military medals, plaster busts, 19th century paintings and items relating to law and order in the town.
Councillors were told the collections had already been moved to preserve them and the vote today was to make the relocation permanent.
Most of the collections would be at the Silk Museum with 10 paintings to be displayed at Macclesfield Town Hall.
They were also told they were not making any decision yet about the West Park Museum building – that would be decided at a future meeting.
Committee chair Michael Gorman (Wilmslow, Ind) said: “This is a really important collection which should absolutely stay in Macclesfield and be enjoyed by residents of Macclesfield as intended by the benefactor. But it will also be of interest to academics.”
Macclesfield councillor Fiona Wilson (Lab) said: “The future of the West Park Museum collections, I feel, is now secure.
“There have been concerns locally regarding the building and the conditions in which the collection was kept in.”
She added: “The Brocklehurst family history is very important to Macclesfield. Two of the Brocklehurst family were MPs for Macclesfield.”
Cllr Wilson said the collections included a significant number of Egyptology and oriental items.
Cllr Chris O’Leary (Sutton, Con) said: “I welcome this. I hope that we can make more of the Brocklehurst history as part of the collection.”
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