A SUPPORT package worth more than £2.2m to the Bowes Museum over the next five years went before Durham County Council cabinet for approval yesterday.

But the sum, which equates to £450,000 a year and is linked to inflation, falls short of the amount the museum was hoping for.

The council was sole trustee of the museum from 1956 until 2000 when an independent trust was formed. But the authority continued to provide core funding, tapering from £650,000 in the first year of the trust, to the current figure of £450,000.

However, in submitting its proposal for a new five-year agreement, the museum asked for an annual grant of £666,667 for 2005-06, rising to £750,340 in 2009-10, also to be linked to inflation.

But Patrick Conway, the council's director of culture and leisure, felt the authority's funding package to be a fair deal in the present economic climate.

"The county council values greatly the Bowes Museum and wants it to succeed and flourish," he said. "Having said that, we have set our council tax at 4.6pc and run the risk of being capped by the Government if we do not stick within their guidelines."

He felt the £450,000 a year would provide a secure financial base for the museum, with the sum demonstrating to potential funders the authority's commitment.

"Because it is linked to inflation the sum will be worth the same amount each year as the Bowes is getting from us at the moment," he added.

Staff at the Bowes were not downhearted by the gap in what they have asked for and what was being recommended.

Operations manager Matt Leng said: "Our understanding of the matter is that the cabinet meeting is not the end of the negotiation process.

"In fact we have just started on that process so there is still plenty of time to run and we obviously hope for a better deal."