The news follows a report last month by L&R Consulting, a group appointed to carry out a feasibility study into the relocation, which has disclosed that moving the exhibits to the Cone could cost between £3m and £5m.

This vastly outweighs the council’s calculated saving of £120,000 a year by its suggested closure of the museum.

Instead the council have now unanimously voted to look into developing a national glass museum within the borough to house the museum’s 6000-strong glass collection.

Campaigners, including the Friends of Broadfield House, the Glass Association, and the Save our Glass Heritage Group worked for a year collecting thousands of signatures opposing the move.

By Joan Porter