PLANS to overhaul the Museum of Oxford could finally ‘take off’ after a £1.63m National Lottery funding boost.

The new cash will mean the £3.2m ‘Oxford’s Hidden Histories’ project can get under way this summer and could be completed by summer 2020.

The proposed redevelopment will see the Town Hall museum triple in size, increasing the number of exhibits on display from 286 to 750.

It will tell the story of Oxford’s people and communities through artefacts, objects and oral accounts.

Oxford City Council board member for culture Dee Sinclair said the Heritage Lottery Fund grant would now see the scheme ‘take off’.

She went on: “We are delighted that we have been awarded this National Lottery grant, and we are very thankful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for supporting our project to redevelop the museum.

“A lot of work has gone into the Museum of Oxford redevelopment through fundraising and behind the scenes.

“Our officers have worked very hard on the project and it is wonderful to see it take off.”

The Old Museum, which closed in 2011, will be reopened and knocked through into the current museum and part of its basement redeveloped.

A new entrance will be installed from the Town Hall foyer and there will be a new space for art exhibitions as well as a 'museum makers room' for schoolchildren and other visitors to handle artefacts.

The facilities for the museum’s 100-plus volunteers will also be improved and a shop and reception desk created.

The council first submitted its application for funding in September 2015 after a consultation revealed visitors wanted a larger space.

Building surveys of the old museum also found asbestos and damp in its basement.

Head of Heritage Lottery Fund’s south east division Michelle Roffe said the project was ‘vital’ to preserving the city’s history.

She said: “This is really exciting news for the Museum of Oxford.

“As the city’s only museum dedicated to its people and history, this project is vital to continuing to preserve and share the hidden histories of Oxford’s community.

“Now, thanks to National Lottery players, the museum is able to drive forwards its expansion plans to meet the demands of a growing audience.”

The museum has held numerous fundraising events in recent months, having set a target of £450,000.

Having only raised £94,000 of that so far, the city council said more events would be held to continue to generate cash as the scheme gets under way.

As part of the fundraising efforts, the museum’s collections – containing object such as Lewis Carroll’s pocket watch and Alice Lidell's Red Cross Service Medal – have been opened up for 'adoption'.

Adopters will get a certificate, a digital image of the object and their name in the museum’s online gallery.

Aside from the construction, some of the £3.2m cost will go towards a three-year programme including outreach schemes, learning resources for schools, family workshops and 'reminiscence' projects.

The project is set to be signed off at a meeting of the council's City Executive Board next month.

Technical design and the relocation of some exhibits could then begin in the summer with construction due to start in 2019 and the new museum opened in 2020.