A TREASURED art gallery could reopen this year if a fund-raising campaign is successful, the charity which owns the building has said.

The Minories, in East Hill, Colchester, closed when Colchester Institute and Wilkin and Sons said they could no longer afford to run the gallery and tearooms.

Read More >>> Minories gallery shuts after being hit by financial hardship

The Grade II listed building is owned by charity the Victor Batte Lay Foundation, but Colchester Institute holds a lease on the premises until 2023.

Talks have been ongoing between the parties to find a solution which will allow the building to reopen before 2023.

Ben Coode-Adams, an artist and trustee of the Victor Batte Lay Foundation, said progress has been made and there were now hopes of reopening this autumn.

The charity is looking to raise £30,000 to help towards this goal and has already collected £3,500 from kind-hearted supporters.

Read more >>> Colchester residents unite save The Minories from closure

Mr Coode-Adams, who lives near Feering, said: “We had a meeting with Colchester Institute principal Alison Andreas to agree in principle what we would like to happen next.

“I would like to see the doors reopen in September this year. It will not quite be as before, it will be a much smaller enterprise to begin with.

“We might have to close again over the winter, but the more money we are able to raise the more we can have the building open and the more we can pay towards things like turning the heating on.”

The trust is also working on long-term refurbishment plans and is looking to submit a Heritage Lottery Fund bid in the future.

Mr Coode-Adams said: “In the long term we want to do a complete refurbishment but the money we are fundraising for now will go towards immediate reopening.

“We knew the lease was coming up and we knew we wanted to do a big refurb in 2023 but we weren’t quite ready for the speed at which things would come about.”

Read more >>> Thousands back campaign to save The Minories in Colchester

More than 7,000 people have signed a petition to save the gallery, which is one of the town’s most iconic arts institutions.

Donate at bit.ly/2AF5kW0.