Aberdeen City Council is making a bid to be the City of Culture 2017, with the announcement of plans for a £30m redevelopment of the Aberdeen Art Gallery, as well as the creation of a £3m Museums Collections Centre.

A £10m grant is being sought from the Heritage Lottery Fund, a further £10m will be sought from other grant funding, as well as corporate, philanthropic and personal support. The rest will come from the council’s non-housing capital programme.

Aberdeen City Council’s chief executive, Valerie Watts, said the redevelopment would be positive for the city.

“The investment being proposed will increase access to the city’s Art and Museums Collections by a third, as well as making it possible to welcome larger incoming exhibitions,” she said.