The Norris Museum has applied for a £1.1million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to pay for an extension.

Curator Helen Giles submitted the bid last week to expand into the neighbouring building – the curator’s house. If the museum is successful, architects and collections specialists will be appointed to provide plans.

There will also be a consultation to see what people want from the museum. That is likely to last a year.

The next stage would start in September 2015 and would include moving the library to the curator’s house, which would also incorporate a reading room, freeing up the existing area for exhibition space.

The second stage would also take a year. The museum would close during the work but exhibitions would be held around St Ives.

Mrs Giles said: “We see this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to address space issues and make a real and lasting change for both our visitors and the local community.”