CIVIC chiefs in Southampton are being urged to put more of the city’s art collection on show after a report claimed its current value could be as much as £200m.

And only about 200 pieces from the 3,700-strong collection can be on show in the gallery at any one time, with one group calling on the council to display more pieces in schools and libraries.

It comes after the Daily Echo’s Show us the Monet campaign, which called for more of the largely-hidden collection to be utilised for the benefit of the city.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) has published details of the artwork owned by all of the councils in Hampshire and other bodies across the UK.

They have put the total value of artwork owned by councils in Hampshire at more than £204million, although Hampshire County Council, Fareham and Gosport borough and Portsmouth City Council did not provide figures through the Freedom of Information Act.

The TPA’s figures show the current value of the works owned by Southampton City Council currently stands at £200m with 5,393 pieces owned altogether.

However, the city council says the actual valuation of the collection, which includes the main Chipperfield Trust collection set up by a former alderman to safeguard the city’s art and a separate maritime and local art collection, is around £180m.

They say the number of pieces in the collection is also lower at 3,700 individual items.

A city council spokesman said: “At any one time there can be upwards of 200 pieces of the fine art collection on display in the gallery.

"The number of pieces on display depends on the touring exhibitions programme, exhibitions change approximately every three to four months, however, the main hall within the art gallery is programmed predominately with items from the fine art collection.”

The city also has items on loan to other galleries and venues. The Chipperfield Trust has acquired 11 new pieces of work in the last year, with no cost to the public purse.

TPA chief executive Jonathan Isaby says the council should be making more of its artistic assets.

He said: “The value of artwork owned by the council, paid for by taxpayers, is staggering. It is important that the council is mindful that it is only a custodian for these pieces of artwork, and that it should do everything it can to involve residents in any decision it takes regarding the retaining, maintenance and display of these valuable assets.

“It could work harder to display pieces in schools, libraries and any other public building in the area.”