Planners approve Burrell collection revamp

The Burrell Collection building in Pollok Park first opened in 1983

Planning permission has been granted for a major refurbishment of the Burrell collection museum in Glasgow.

The £66m project to upgrade the building and provide more display space also received listed building consent.

Glasgow City Council recently approved funding of up to £27.3m towards the cost of the refurbishment.

The Burrell collection has more than 8,000 artefacts, but fewer than a fifth of them have been on show at any one time.

In April 2015, the council provided £5.7m to kick-start the building's revamp, which houses treasures donated to the city by collector Sir William Burrell in 1944.

The basement of the building is to become part of the exhibition space

Architect John McAslan said the planning approval was a "major step forward".

"We are delighted approval has been granted for the renaissance of the Burrell.

"The scheme has been shaped by the need to address the strains on the current building, by a need to respond to the works held in the collection, and by a desire to contribute further to the Burrell's unique setting of Pollok Country Park.

"This decision will ensure the Burrell Collection maintains its strong significance within Scotland and internationally."

When it re-opens to visitors in 2020, the basement of the Category A listed building will become part of the exhibition space, so that 90% of the objects can be viewed by the public.

A dedicated space will also be created for special exhibitions and offices will be converted into galleries.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has given £15m to the project and the UK government has also contributed £5m.