The bid has been put together by Lancashire County Council, Preston City Council and the city's University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) to secure the immediate future of the museum and stop it being shifted to the Urbis in Manchester.

It includes putting up the cash to provide the immediate future of the museum, invest in refurbishing the exhibition at its home in Deepdale as well as setting up a new body of "corporate governing members" to run it alongside the 14-strong panel of trustees.

In a bid letter from county council chief executive Ged Fitzgerald to chairman of trustees Paul Dermody, seen by the Evening Post, urges it not to move the museum from Preston.

He said: "The museum should stay in its home, Deepdale."

The revelation comes after Manchester City Council admitted that moving the National Football Museum (NFM) from Preston will cost £8m because of the amount of work needed to ensure memorabilia will be protected in the Urbis building.

But if the proposed move does go ahead, a report by Manchester City Council claims it will eventually be able to reduce the £2m annual grant it pays towards the running of the building because of increases in commercial income, it adds.

The document, which is due to go to Manchester's executive later this month, says it is recognised that "major investment will need to be made in both the building itself and the current presentation of the collections."

It comes after the Evening Post reported fears last month that the glass Urbis structure could compromise the protection of the precious artefacts.

For full details of Preston's bid, see the Lancashire Evening Post on Thursday.

>> UCLan and councils produce museum rescue bid

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