BRADFORD'S museums and galleries have won a grant of nearly £500,000.

The cash will be used to expand a programme to open up Bradford City Hall to visitors, with more of the district's art treasures being put on display within the Grade I listed landmark.

Five new fixed-term jobs will be created through the project, called Collections at the Heart of the City.

The Arts Council England yesterday announced it was investing more than £17 million in museums across England through its Museum Resilience Fund, with Bradford Council's museums and galleries service getting one of the biggest handouts.

Bradford's award, of £455,103, was the eighth biggest in England, and the second biggest in the north.

John Orna-Ornstein, Arts Council England's director for museums, said: "The proposal presented in Bradford’s application scored highly across all of the criteria.

"The project will put collections at the heart of the city and help to develop new ways of working for Bradford museum and galleries staff and ultimately it will provide opportunities for people to truly engage with Bradford’s rich heritage and material culture."

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, the Council’s executive member for culture, said: "This is really great news.

"I'm delighted that Bradford has been successful at a time when competition for grant aid is hard fought.

"The Arts Council obviously see the potential of what we have to offer in Bradford.

"It will mean that more people will get to see the wonderful and important collections held here.

"The Arts Council England grant will help us to develop our project to widen access and appreciation of the collection of Bradford’s Museums and Galleries as well as City Hall itself."

A Council spokesman added: "The Collections at the Heart of the City project will deliver on the shared ambition to open up City Hall to residents and visitors, develop a better relationship with the public and a greater pride in Bradford.

“It will enable Bradford Museums and Galleries to show the importance of our heritage as well as providing a platform to engage with new audiences and to work with the local community to make Bradford collections and heritage more accessible."

He said the project would also include a programme of ‘pop-up’ displays in Council-owned venues across the district, which would bring the collections into new environments and to new audiences.

The Arts Council's Museum Resilience Fund aims to help museums to become more sustainable businesses, as public funding becomes harder to obtain.

Other awards given out include £348,576 for Kirklees Museums and Galleries and £90,200 for Craven District Council.

Sarah Maxfield, the Arts Council England's area director for the north, said: "The Arts Council’s aim is to achieve great art and culture for everyone – the north has some fantastic museums across the area which between them reach thousands of visitors each year."