Planned Kirkcudbright art gallery costs soar to £3m

The cost of transforming Kirkcudbright Town Hall into a "gallery of national significance" is expected to cost £3.17m, according to a new report.

The plan is part of the Kirkcudbright Charter, which aims to make the best use of the town's public buildings.

Council papers have revealed that the design team behind the project will ask Dumfries and Galloway Council for funding of £1.68m.

It exceeds the authority's budget for the entire charter by £195,000.

The team will also apply for funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), which has previously committed almost £1m to the project on a provisional basis.

According to a report to the council's Stewartry area committee, the new plans for the gallery were "very positively received" by HLF.

The authority will also be asked to support an increased funding application to the heritage fund.