CARDIFF, Wales—Plans for a Welsh national gallery have been put on hold for at least four years, reports BBC News. The plan to create a national gallery was set in 2007 as one of the goals of the newly formed assembly coalition between the Wales Labour Party and the Plaid Cymru party. Ministers now say that such an enterprise would cost more than £85 million ($148.2 million), which is not affordable at this time due to the economic crisis as well as a reduction in National Lottery funding. A center for contemporary art, which would cost about £39 million, was also discussed and postponed.

Instead, Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones has announced a smaller donation of £1.7 million to help fund the redevelopment of various national art collections in Aberystwyth, Cardiff, and Llandudno. An additional 40 percent more space will be added to the National Museum Cardiff from a £1 million investment over two years.

Although the national gallery and contemporary arts center may not come to fruition until well after 2012, Jones said, “In the short term...we want to do all that we can to ensure that our art collections can be enjoyed by as many people as possible, across the country.”