Major cultural development takes step forward

Birmingham Museums' plans for the site in Yardley

Plans for a new cultural centre in Birmingham have moved forward after land in Yardley was approved for regeneration by Birmingham City Council.

The site of the former Pool Way Shopping Centre on Meadway has been earmarked for development in a scheme led by Birmingham Museums Trust.

It is the first phase of a wider plan, which includes redeveloping Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BMAG) as a new museum for Birmingham, in line with much needed major modernisation works to the Council House complex.

The initial phase will create a new storage facility to house the collections currently held at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, ahead of the redevelopment of the city’s museum.

Subsequent development of the site will create spaces that will be available for community use and the building will also become Birmingham Museums’ headquarters. The Trust will relocate back office, curatorial, conservation and technical teams.

Ellen McAdam, director of Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “We are committed to rethinking the way we use this great collection for the benefit of this city’s young, super-diverse citizens.

“We know of no other cultural facility of comparable ambition, scope or scale in the UK or internationally, and this is a very exciting time as our plans gather pace.”

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