THE stunning layout of the Museum of Oxford proposed under plans for a £2.7m overhaul has been revealed in a new video.

Oxford City Council’s proposed redevelopment will mean the museum, in the Town Hall, triples in size, increasing the number of exhibits on display from 286 to 750.

The council hopes plans for the project will be confirmed by 2018 and that construction will start in 2019, with it finally opening in 2020.

Its executive board will get an update on the plans at a meeting next Tuesday – and will be asked to approve a capital contribution of £926,654.

Dee Sinclair, the city council’s executive board member for culture and communities, said: "The new Museum of Oxford will give a voice to the stories of the individuals, communities and businesses that have built our culturally-diverse city.”

The council will apply to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £1.6m of funding later this month.

It has already been given £142,000 by the HLF so far.

The council also said it intends to generate £451,000 through fundraising by the museum’s development trust – but has raised just £43,993 of that total so far.

If the funding bids are successful the museum, in St Aldate's, will have two galleries containing state-of-the-art interactive exhibits and a new space, which will be called Museum Makers, where children and visitors will be able to get their hands on exhibits during their trip.

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

If successful, the new museum's entrance will be accessed from the Town Hall’s foyer.

The council said it is eager to ‘continue to improve the opportunities for Oxford’s diverse communities to engage actively in a wide range of cultural activities’.

Building surveys of the Old Museum found asbestos and damp in its basement.

Listed building consent for the plans to be implemented will be submitted before the end of the year. If approved that will mean new electricity cables, outlets, audio visual equipment and lifts can be installed.

Mrs Sinclair added: “A lot of work has been happening behind the scenes to get us to this point, including winning charity status for the development trust, consultation with the public and the detailed building survey.

“We are now ready to push on with this exciting project, which will celebrate the rich, fascinating and world-famous history of our city and its people."

The executive board meeting to discuss the update on the museum’s plans will be held at Oxford Town Hall from 6pm.