SKIPTON Town Hall could be a major venue attracting the sort of acts normally associated with Leeds or Bradford.

Craven councillors, after agreeing to press ahead with a bid for Arts Council funding of £250,000 to refurbish the main hall, were told every effort should be made to encourage big names to Skipton.

It is hoped the refurbishment will mean around 150 live performances at the hall every year, including popular music, opera and ballet, which could then be filmed and beamed live to village halls in remote parts of the district.

Cllr Andy Solloway (Ind, Skipton South) said he very much welcomed what was being done to the public building.

"I see a lot of potential for the town hall about it being a venue and I would like it to be a venue on the national circuit," he said.

Cllr Solloway added at the moment people travelled to other venues and it would be good to see them stay in Skipton to the benefit of other businesses.

If successful, the £250,000 Arts Council money will be used to refurbish facilities in the main hall.

It will include replacing the lighting and sound system, new seating and a removable dance floor. Other improvements will include black outs on the windows and secondary glazing for noise control and to reduce energy consumption.

In August, the council appointed programming and venue manager, Chloe Hampson Ward, to turn the town hall into a high quality venue.

It is hoped improvements to the hall will allow the programming of a range of activities and shows of around 150 a year. It is planned they will vary from theatre and popular music to classical music, opera, contemporary dance and ballet.

It is also hoped to film live performances and stream them to village halls, particularly in rural areas currently out of reach.

The council believes it could achieve total audiences of 39,000 per year, with a generated income of £267,000.

Last month, the council was told it was in line for a £1.4 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), which will go towards the transformation of the museum and art gallery.

An initial grant of £98,000 will help it deliver its plans to apply for the full grant in two years' time.