PLANS to restore Bradford's historic St George's Hall in a £4 million project have been welcomed by Historic England and The Theatres Trust.

Both organisations have responded to a consultation request as part of a planning application bid for the 1850s building, which is run by Bradford Council.

The plans include restoring the listed building's sandstone exterior, as well as a redesign of the front-of-house and bar areas, removing partitions added in the 1980s.

Other major changes include glazing the colonnade on Bridge Street to provide a new draft lobby and reinstating three original entrance doors from Hall Ings, as well as the addition of a new lift.

The Council has committed £2.5m towards the work and last week, the Heritage Lottery Fund announced it was contributing the remaining £1.5m - meaning the full restoration of what is Britain's oldest purpose-built concert hall can go ahead.

Elisabeth Lewis, inspector of historic buildings and areas at Historic England, states that most of the work focuses on areas of the building which have been altered considerable and where little evidence survives of the original layout and decoration.

She states: "Historic England support the proposal to refurbish and improve the interior of the front of house areas at St George's Hall."

"We consider the removal of the principal staircase and double height vestibule and replacement with mezzanine floors during the late 20th century has resulted in a loss of understanding of the original layout, circulation and function of the building," she adds.

"The existing fixtures and fittings particularly within the ground floor foyer are restrictive and unreceptive.

"We therefore consider the facilities would greatly benefit from the reconfiguration and refurbishment of the front of house interior."

She adds that they particularly welcome the proposal to reinstate the double doors to the Hall Ings facade.

And Ross Anthony, planning adviser at The Theatres Trust, welcomed the application "to help conserve and ensure the venue is fit for purpose into the future".

"In our opinion, the works proposed aid the efficient operation of the Hall without compromising the heritage or architectural significance of the heritage asset and we would therefore support the granting of planning and listed building consent."

The venue will close for a year from the end of this month to enable the restoration project to go ahead. The last performance at the Grade II* listed building before the closure, is Indian poet and singer Satinder Sartaaj in concert on March 31.

Speaking after the successful Heritage Lottery Fund bid, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, the Council's executive member for culture, said: "We’re delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this support. We've worked hard with them to demonstrate that this funding is needed to make St George’s Hall a success.

"It’s great news that this historic venue is getting the investment it needs to maintain its position as a key heritage building and international venue. These plans will help us to reach new audiences and enhance everyone’s experience of live entertainment at this much-loved city centre venue.”

The project also involves creating a permanent archive display featuring key events in the concert hall's past, as well as developing stronger links with the local community through an outreach and access programme.

It will highlight key events from the official opening in 1853 to the big rock and roll band concerts of the 1970s and 1980s. Past appearances have included famous names such as Charles Dickens, Harold Houdini, Dr Livingstone, Sir Edward Elgar, Queen, David Bowie and Motorhead.