Museum and art gallery's £18.4m revamp approved

The redevelopment of Hereford Museum and Art Gallery will include six new art galleries

Plans to redevelop Hereford's museum and art gallery have been given the green light.

The £18.4m project, which will include the addition of a fifth floor, aims to transform the Grade II-listed building into a "world class" venue.

Six new galleries will be created along with temporary exhibition spaces, while the historic Woolhope club room will also be restored.

Commercial areas including retail space and a rooftop cafe will also be built.

Herefordshire Council said the redeveloped site would offer visitors an “exciting interactive experience” and would showcase collections like the Herefordshire Hoard.

The building would also be more accessible and energy efficient, the authority added.

A fifth floor will be added to the Grade II-listed museum and art gallery

A planning application for the scheme was approved by Herefordshire Council's planning committee on Wednesday.

Following the decision, Councillor Harry Bramer said the work would “preserve the historic fabric of the building”.

“We are delighted to secure the required planning permission which means we can now start to progress work to turn our proposals and plans for a modern museum and art gallery into reality,” he added.