Plans for museum's new learning centre approved

Office space being used by the city council will be converted during the works

Plans to turn part of a city building into a new learning centre have been approved by councillors.

A section of wooden panelling will be removed and archways opened up at the Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, to convert existing office space used by the city council into the centre.

Philippa Tinsley, museums manager at Museums Worcestershire, which runs the site, said the building originally had a library and the scheme was an opportunity to put learning "back at the forefront".

The city council approved plans for works at a meeting on Friday.

Tinsley added the museum did not have a "designated learning space" so schools could not bring more than one class to the museum at a time, as there was not enough room.

"It's hard for us to hold a large talk or to bring in a group of vulnerable people, because there's nowhere where they can work, where they can be," she said.

"This is an opportunity to put learning back at the forefront of what the building does."

The new learning space will be through a door in the entrance lobby that was hidden for decades, with the aim of the plans being to welcome many more school groups.

Labour councillor Richard Udall said it was an opportunity to "bring the building back to life".

"This whole building was a secular temple for education and learning, and I'm delighted it's going back to that on the ground floor," he said.

Green Party councillor Alex Kinnersley added: "It's really good to see buildings adapting to new uses and keeping up to date.

"It's really important we do that, while at the same time protecting the character and historic detail."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.