Birmingham Botanical Gardens reveals £13m revamp

It will be the first time in the site's 191-year history that it has been redeveloped on this scale

Birmingham Botanical Garden has revealed a £13m transformation project - the largest redevelopment in its 191-year history.

Four listed glasshouses will be restore at the attraction in Edgbaston.

The Growing our Green Heritage scheme is expected to take about five years to complete with work to due to begin in 2025.The Grade II-listed site is home to 8,000 plants and trees and is believed to be the largest and most diverse botanic collection in central England.

"We are now at a crucial moment in the gardens' history; the glasshouses are in urgent need of upgrading and without significant investment the viability of these unique botanical gardens will become increasingly difficult," said chief executive Sara Blair-Manning.

'Greener future'

The project is being supported by Birmingham City Council as part of its Our Future City Plan 2040 to create a green city. Deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, councillor Sharon Thompson, added: "They're a much-loved part of Birmingham's richly diverse cultural history and now, thanks to these exciting plans, the gardens will also be a huge part of our greener future."

Last year the attraction was awarded almost £600,000 development funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop the first phase of the project, with a further £4.4m available as the programme progresses.