A MUSEUM and a local authority could soon be working together to find up to £150,000 to repair one of Richmond's oldest buildings.

Time and the weather have taken their toll on Trinity Church in the centre of the market place.

Three buckets full of loose stone were removed from the roof during a recent inspection and urgent repairs were needed on the parapets.

The town council agreed to pay between £400 and £700 for cross bracing to prevent any masonry falling into the street below.

However, the cost of a complete restoration is estimated at about £150,000, which is well beyond the means of the small authority.

The town council is hoping the Heritage Lottery Fund can be persuaded to come up with at least some of the cash. It is already part-funding the restoration of the town's nearby obelisk.

However, as at least a third of the building is home to the Green Howards Regimental Museum, the town council has been advised a partnership may be the best approach.

Richmondshire District Council's conservation officer, David Elliott, told a meeting this week a joint bid for funding could stand a better chance.

He also indicated an application would be given a higher priority if it could be shown that the building is at risk.

As a result, the town council agreed to commission an architect to examine the condition of the whole building.

However, if it can agree on a partnership with the Green Howards Museum, both sides will have to decide if the building is used primarily as a church or as a museum, only then will they be able to decide which grant to apply for.

Mr Elliott also advised, whatever they decide, an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund can be a "tortuous procedure" and, even if the bid is successful, at least half the restoration costs will have to be raised locally.