AMBITIOUS plans to radically redesign Bolton Museum’s Egyptology gallery and turn it into a major town centre attraction have received a massive boost.

Bolton Council has been awarded a £115,300 lottery grant to develop the gallery in a move which will also allow it to apply for a further £1.8 million in 2014.

The project plans include creating another floor as well as allowing the museum to digitise items so they can be accessed on its website.

It will also improve the storage of its collection, create a new education and family learning programme and develop activities and volunteering opportunities for borough residents and organisations.

The project to expand the display area would create two distinct zones on separate levels.

Downstairs would be focused on Egyptian attitudes to the afterlife, including an exact re-creation of the burial chamber of Thutmosis III, while the upper gallery would focus on ancient Egyptian life, including food and drink, writing and home life.

The project also aims to make the collection more accessible for people with disabilities by improving the layout and including more audio and visual information.

Museum bosses hope the new gallery will create a major visitor attraction for the town centre.

Bolton Council’s cabinet member for culture, Cllr Chris Peacock, said: “This is fantastic news for Bolton Museum and we are delighted the Heritage Lottery Fund has granted us the first phase of funding.

“We have one of the most significant ancient Egyptian collections in the UK and the gallery is already hugely popular.

“This funding will enable us to enhance the visitor experience and improve access for everyone who wishes to view the collection.

“We’ve got lots of ideas on how we can expand the gallery and develop the digital side of things so it can reach an even larger audience.

“We’re very excited about what the future holds for the gallery.”

Regional Heritage Lottery Fund boss Sara Hilton said: “If successful at second round, the newly digitised collections and learning programmes will really help to get young people excited about this fascinating part of history right here in Bolton.”