THE sale of part of the Riesco Collection of Chinese ceramics is expected to get the go ahead next week.
The council's corporate services committee are being recommended to approve the sale of 24 items, which the council has said could raise £13 million.
The recommendation comes despite warnings from arts bodies that the sale could affect future arts funding to the borough.
It also ignores warnings from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) that Croydon's museum service could lose museum accreditation and that the fund could then claw back some or all of its £934,000 investment in the local service.
The council has said the £13 million would be ploughed back into cultural services with the bulk going towards the planned £20 million plus refurbishment of the Fairfield Halls.
The proposal has been universally condemned by cultural bodies but Steve O' Connell, cabinet member for finance and performance management, is fully suportive of the sale.
He said: "I think much of the criticism is misjudged."
