The Heritage Lottery Fund has given a grant of almost £1 million to a museums scheme.

The Society of Bexhill Museums and Rother District Council will use the £931,500 to extend and refurbish the Bexhill Museum in Egerton Park, Bexhill.

The building will provide new galleries, storage, office space, educational facilities and a cafe.

Internationally-acclaim-ed exhibition designers Richard Fowler Associates will create displays and there will be computerised access to the reserve collections and visible storage of costumes on rolling racking, to make the museum interactive.

The new building will be designed by award-winning architects John McAslan & Partners, who were responsible for the restoration of the De la Warr Pavilion.

Councillor Deirdre Williams said: "We are delighted with this news.

"The award is a great opportunity for us to improve facilities at Bexhill Museum for our local community and tourists alike by bringing together three unique collections under one roof."

Tessa Hilder, regional manager for the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: "New life will be breathed into the museum with this grant and treasures that have been stored away for years can now be brought out for people to enjoy in a dynamic and contemporary setting.

"The Heritage Lottery Fund is dedicated to supporting projects that open up our heritage for locals and visitors to learn about and enjoy, and the new extension to the building will be a great addition to the museum."

Some of the UK's leading museum specialists worked with museum volunteers and council officers to put together the application for what they have called the Bexhill Museums Renaissance project.

It is expected that the project will proceed to tender stage by the end of next February, with construction starting shortly afterwards.

There is still a shortfall of almost £60,000 which the Museum is looking to trusts, external funders and the community to meet.