A theatre company has taken over Bingley Arts Centre and plans to transform it into a vibrant venue for professional and amateur acts.

Bingley Little Theatre is now responsible for the building, after securing a 99-year lease on a peppercorn rent from Bradford Council, which owns it.

The amateur company is embarking on a major refurbishment, expected to cost at least £100,000, and hopes to enlist the support of actors and other celebrities from the district.

Chairman Ian Wilkinson said: “We have spent a year negotiating with the Council. We’re putting a lot of investment into it, the whole building will be modernised over the next few years. We want to build on it to create a vibrant centre for the arts.”

The refurbishment will involve modernising and replacing changing rooms, toilets, the kitchen, bar, seating and carpets, and making the property more accessible.

Bingley Little Theatre has been staging productions at the arts centre since it opened in 1974.

The society is seeking corporate sponsorship and grants for the refurbishment, and is also investing its own funding.