AMBITIOUS plans to transform Middlesbrough Town Hall have been given the go-ahead.

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has signed off a £3.75m grant to rejuvenate the 19th century Grade II* listed building.

The scheme will enable much wider access to visitors and provide them with a greater understanding of the history of the building.

Parts of the building, currently inaccessible to the public, will be opened up, including the Victorian courtroom, cells and fire station which would be made into heritage attractions in their own right.

The authority will also put £4m into the scheme which will get underway in January 2016 and will see the Town Hall closed for an anticipated 21 months.

Middlesbrough Council’s deputy mayor Dave Budd said: “The Town Hall is the jewel in Middlesbrough’s crown and this project will restore it to its full majestic glory. Once complete it will be a celebration of our 19th Century history with a 21st Century outlook.”

During the Town Hall’s closure it is proposed to utilise alternative venues in the town such as mima, Middlesbrough Theatre, Centre Square, Middlesbrough Sports Village, Teesside University and Middlesbrough College.

Charlie Rooney, Middlesbrough Council’s executive member for regeneration, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the HLF have given approval to funding for this scheme. There are fascinating areas of the building which the public don’t currently have access to so it will make a fascinating visit in its own right as well as allowing us to make it a premier cultural destination.”

Ivor Crowther, head of HLF North East, said: “Today’s investment means that work can get underway in earnest on these exciting plans to reaffirm the building’s social and historic value, secure its long-term future and transform it into a flagship heritage asset for Middlesbrough.”