Makeover for Maidstone Museum

3.07.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 28th Sep 2007

Maidstone Liberal Democrats would like to congratulate Officers for their hard work in securing a £1,999,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the development of the East Wing of the Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery.

Maidstone council leader, Fran Wilson, says the money will be put to very good use: "This is excellent news and a tribute to all the hard work put in by our bid team. We've got a fabulous collection and this will provide an exciting, modern setting to show off more of our exhibits to more people".

The popular museum, which celebrates its 150th birthday next year, is one of the oldest museums in the UK. Today's news will help Maidstone Borough Council carry out Phase II of their work to showcase even more of the 600,000 objects in its collections and transform the visitor experience for the 83,000 people it attracts each year. Dan Daley, Cabinet Member for Culture is confident that visitor numbers will continue to grow: "The award comes at a time when the museum has been breaking all records for attendance with its fascinating range of new exhibitions. The grant will enable us to embark with confidence on an ambitious programme to make the Museum even more attractive in the coming years"; he said.

Plans include the construction of two extensions to the museum, housing a new entrance and orientation area to welcome visitors. Facilities such as toilets, a shop, cloakrooms and a café providing visual access to a previously unseen Tudor façade of the building will also be developed. Maidstone's Tourist Information Centre will be relocated to the museum entrance.

The extensions will also allow refurbishment and reorganisation of the galleries and storage areas to be undertaken. Combined with the creation of two new temporary exhibitions galleries, this will increase display space by 30% and enable many items to come out of the store cupboards. Objects to go on display thanks to the refurbishments include material from the most important collection of Japanese art held by a museum outside London. A rare Solomon Islands canoe, which is currently stored in the loading bay, will be used as an eye-catching centrepiece to the new museum entrance.

The museum's education activities are currently over subscribed but the extensions will provide two new education spaces for schools and adult learners, allowing the education activities to grow.

Access for visitors with disabilities or prams will be much improved with level access to the museum's facilities provided for the first time. Disabled toilets and a baby changing area will be introduced.

The project forms Phase II of a larger master-plan for upgrading the museum. Phase I, the refurbishment of the West Wing, was completed with the help of a £253,000 HLF grant in 2003.

Sustainability has been one of the main considerations. Tony Harwood, Maidstone's Cabinet Member for Environment explains: "The Museum is one of our landmark buildings. It demanded an exciting architectural design and we insisted upon cutting edge environmental technology, from a ground heat pump to solar panels in the roof the new wing will set the standard for energy conservation and sustainability. That ethos will be extended throughout the project. Landscaping will include native Cherry, Lime and Field Maple trees and a commemorative Oak, as a memorial to the last action of the Battle of Maidstone in the nearby St. Faith's churchyard in 1648."

Maidstone has now received 53 HLF grant awards to date, totalling over £8.4million. Sheena Vick, Heritage Lottery Fund Manager for the South East, commented: "This popular museum houses a treasure trove of collections and today's news sets Maidstone Borough Council on their way to transforming the way history is brought to life for visitors."

Simon Lace, Museums & Heritage Manager, said: "We're delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has chosen to support our project. Their help will be vital in allowing us to create 21st century facilities for the ever increasing number of people who visit our fantastic museum and wish to enjoy our outstanding collections."