MAJOR plans to improve St Barbe Museum and art gallery in Lymington have been submitted.

The £2million project includes proposals for the entrance, a terraced seating area and signs visible from the High Street.

Lymington Museums Trust applied to New Forest District Council for full planning permission to transform the building, which is not listed but is in a conservation area.

St Barbe opened in 1999 and last year received support from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a £2million upgrade. Other improvements will include an easily-accessible public archive and interactive displays.

Mark Tomlinson, director of St Barbe, said: “Applying for planning permission is an important milestone for our project.

“The planned building improvements are a vital element in the museum’s efforts to build on its successes and be sustainable in the long term. “This is an opportunity for the local community to support an initiative which contributes to the cultural vitality of Lymington.”