Library move opens space for museum and gardens

New galleries, social areas and an expanded museum collection are planned for the space left when a library moves to its new location.

Sunderland's Museum and Winter Gardens will have extra room when the city's library moves to the Culture House development on Keel Square in the autumn.

Plans for the Grade II listed building, which would be delivered by 2029, include creating two new ground floor gallery spaces where the library currently sits.

The council also hopes to increase the museum's collection and establish a new "immersive school and community learning space".

This space is expected to use the natural environment to connect the winter gardens and Mowbray Park, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillors were told the authority had already secured funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Arts Council England and planned to submit further funding bids.

Catherine Auld, the Sunderland City Council's director of culture, said: "It's a really exciting project, we're at a point where we have the full proposals ready to go."

Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].