Wolverhampton Art Gallery has received £4.95m from the Heritage Lottery Fund to finance a new extension to create a permanent gallery for its Pop Art Collection.

Housing work by artists such as Andy Warhol, Peter Blake and David Hockney, the £6.7m extension is the third phase in the gallery's redevelopment, which began with a refurbishment in 2001.

Further funding of £750,000 from Advantage West Midlans is currently under assessment.

The extension will be in the form of two triangular galleries, one will house the Pop Art Collection and the other will be used for temporary exhibitions.

There will also be more educational spaces and improved visitor facilities as well as a new entrance to the gallery facing onto Wolverhampton University.

The scheme will also join the Makers Dozen artists' studios - the second phase of the development - to the main gallery.

Work is expected to begin in April 2004 with the two new galleries opening in early 2006. The gallery will remain open throughout the work.