Concert hall gets £5m for revamp

The overhaul is due to be complete by the end of 2008

Colston Hall has received nearly £5m from the Arts Council England to support its redevelopment programme.

The £20m overhaul of the Bristol music venue will keep the listed hall and create a foyer building on the site of an office block next door.

The facility will have education spaces and workshops, a performance space for showcasing local and regional artists and improved disabled access.

A detailed planning application is due to be considered on 4 October.

The design includes a glass-fronted building facing on to The Centre which will be finished in a brass-look metal cladding.

The concert hall will have a spacious atrium surrounding the performance area which will be crossed at upper floor levels by bridges.

Bristol City Councillor Simon Cook said the funding would make a significant contribution to the future of the city's music industry and the arts.

"When this new foyer building is completed, the hall will stand out as one of the great music venues in the UK but it will also be able to play an even greater role in developing local talent and the stars of the future," he said.

The scheme is due to be completed by the end of 2008.

The Arts Council England is giving £4.9m on top of £7m which it has already pledged to the project and £2.6m has been given by the National Lottery.