Bradford Odeon revamp plan loses £5m lottery bid

Bradford Odeon hosted acts such as Tom Jones and The Rolling Stones during its heyday

A £15m project to turn a former cinema and concert hall into a live music venue is seeking alternative funding after a £5m lottery bid was rejected.

Developers hope to restore Bradford Odeon's original 1930s auditorium to hold about 4,000 people and host up to 200 events each year.

Bradford Live said it was "pressing ahead" with negotiations on funding from a private sector investor.

The Heritage Lottery Fund said the bidding process was "competitive".

Lee Craven, project director of Bradford Live, said: "It is a setback but we remain committed to the project and we think it's very much a viable project. We've always felt that."

He said he was "confident" the project would secure funding "by the end of this year".

"There's a large element of private sector funding in this scheme as well, it's not all about grant funding - that's just one part of it," Mr Craven said.

"My instinct now is to press ahead with developing our negotiations with the private operator," he added.

A spokesperson for the Heritage Lottery Fund said: "It was an extremely competitive meeting and the trustees had to take decisions on more projects than the available budget would support.

"Officers from our Yorkshire and Humber team will be meeting the applicant to discuss both the decision and next steps in the near future."

The landmark venue, which hosted acts such as Tom Jones and The Rolling Stones, has been derelict since closing in 2000. It was owned by the city council, which bought the building for £1 in 2013.

Bradford Live's revamp plans were approved by the authority in December 2014.