Bradford Odeon live music revamp approved by council

Bradford Live has called for the Bradford Odeon to become a music venue

An £18m scheme to turn a former cinema and concert hall into a live music venue has been approved.

Bradford Council invited people to submit "commercially-viable" ideas to save the Bradford Odeon.

Bradford Live successfully appealed for a music venue, after the council bought the building for £1 in 2013.

However the money has not been secured for the redevelopment and large public sector funding or lottery grants will be needed.

Bradford Live hope to restore the Odeon's original auditorium to hold up to 4,000 people and put on up to 200 events each year.

The landmark venue, which hosted acts such as Tom Jones and The Rolling Stones, has been derelict since closing in 2000.

It was then acquired by the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward who proposed the redevelopment of the site.

With the abolition of Yorkshire Forward in 2012 the Homes and Communities Agency took over the site and then sold it to Bradford Council.