Plans for the creation of a new £9.7m wing at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery have been given the green light by Birmingham City Council cabinet members.

Work to build and fit-out Birmingham - A City in the Making is due to get underway by the end of the year, with the top floor of the attraction to be transformed with the creation of five new galleries.

Proposals drawn up by West Yorkshire-based Redman Design will see four galleries focus on the development of the city from its origins to the end of the Second World War.

A fifth gallery will also be incorporated into the 1,040sq m (11,194sq ft) wing, which aims to examine the character and people of Birmingham, containing 'living memories' from recent times.

BCC cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture Martin Mullaney said: "The collection represents our manufacturing tradition, the diverse communities found here in Birmingham and the continuing growth of our great city."

Rita McLean, head of the council's museums and heritage services, added: "This is the first phase of an ambitious long-term masterplan for the Museum and Art Gallery which will transform what is already an important venue and enable it to fulfil its full potential as a world-class cultural asset."

Image: Birmingham City Council/Redman Design