ANOTHER step forward has been taken towards plans to re-open the Bradford Odeon as a live music, entertainment and conference centre.

The announcement has been made that Bradford Live and Bradford council will bid for funding from a new Government pot of cash set up to help regenerate parts of the North.

Grants of up to £4 million from the Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund will be made available to a small number of transformational projects as part of the legacy of the Great Exhibition of the North which is being held in Newcastle next summer.

The chance to attract this funding to bring the Odeon back to life has been received with delight from Bradford Civic Society who recently launched a campaign to urge the local authority to submit a bid.

Si Cunningham, chair of the civic society said: “”We’re delighted that Bradford Council has wisely seen the Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund as a great opportunity for bringing the Odeon back to life.

“Since Bradford Civic Society launched the campaign to make sure Bradford is bidding for this money, we’ve had well over 2,600 signatures in support.

“It’s exciting that there’s now a united front here in Bradford, with both the council and developers on board, but we need to keep the pressure on the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership to make sure we’re at the front of the queue for culture-led regeneration.”

Bradford Live and Bradford Council see the Northern Cultural Regeneration Fund as a golden opportunity to bid for cash that will transform the former Odeon building.

Bradford Council Leader, Susan Hinchcliffe, said: “This is a great opportunity for the Odeon. I think it’s just the kind of project which would provide the Government with a tangible, prominent legacy for their investment.

“The venue would bring in thousands of extra visitors into the city centre each year, adding another vital piece of the jigsaw to Bradford’s regeneration.”

Lee Craven from Bradford Live said: “We are totally committed to bringing this iconic building back into use and ensuring Bradford is back on the touring circuit for major music acts.

“We have a vision that the building could also be used for conferences and other creative uses as it sits in a superb central location. Renovating the Odeon building will complement the adjacent Alhambra Theatre, completing the vista from the multi-award winning City Park.

The first round of bids for the fund is being coordinated by Local Enterprise Partnerships including Leeds City Region.

Each can nominate just one bid from its region which then goes forward to be judged by Government against all the other bids from other parts of the North.