Durham Light Infantry Museum: Plan to extend and reopen revealed

A military museum which closed six years ago is to be refurbished and reopen as an exhibition centre.

The Durham Light Infantry (DLI) Museum in Aykley Heads, which shut in 2016, will also become a gallery and hospitality venue.

A Durham County Council cabinet meeting heard the venue would have double its original floorspace.

It will also display 15,000 objects from the regiment's history since the 1750s.

A study looked at options for bringing the museum, which opened in 1968, back to life, from a clean-up of the existing building to a full demolition and rebuild, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

It was decided to transform the existing building with a large extension, exhibition space, cafe and garden.

Amy Harhoff, the council's director of regeneration, said the revamp would support the county's City of Culture 2025 bid with a "high quality art gallery, exhibition and creative space".

She said the new centre would celebrate the building's heritage and house national and international arts events, attracting more visitors and investors.

"Most facilities will be accessible free of use for our residents and our visitors," she added.

Richard Bell, deputy council leader and cabinet member for finance, said: "Speaking personally, as one of many people whose forebears served in the Durham Light Infantry, I am delighted that we will be able to display more of their proud heritage.

"And also that we will be able to fill the obvious gap that Durham City does not have an art or display gallery as we wait to see how we have fared with our City of Culture bid.

"We will be seeking funding to assist with this rebuild."

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