Titanic Museum Gets Final Go-Ahead

Work to build Southampton's Sea City Museum can now start, after the project was given final planning permission this morning.

With all approvals now in place, the construction of the museum, which is expected to attract thousands of visitors to the city, can start.

Hoardings will shortly be going up around the Grade II* listed Magistrates' Courts, which adjoin the Civic Centre. Furthermore, Havelock Spur Road will be closed from 4 October until the completion of the build in 2012, as it will be used as the main compound for the building contractors Kier Southern.

Sea City Museum is a central piece of the new Cultural Quarter in Southampton and is expected to be finished in April 2012 - 100 years since the Titanic left Southampton.

It will feature two permanent exhibitions and one temporary exhibition. The two permanent exhibitions cover the role of Southampton as Gateway to the World and Southampton's Titanic Story.

The temporary exhibition which will run for one year from opening is all about the Legend of the Titanic.

Since March 2009 the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded the council a total of £4.9 million towards the £15m museum.

Southampton Cultural Development Trust has been formed as a Company limited by Guarantee (currently awaiting charitable registration) to raise funding towards the costs of the project.