The £20m scheme to revamp Bristol’s Colston Hall music and performance venue has moved one step closer to fruition after Arts Council England confirmed it would commit £4.9m to the project.

The new plans, designed by architects Levitt Bernstein Associates, will retain the existing listed hall and create a new foyer building on an adjacent site.

Nick Capaldi, executive director of Arts Council England, said: “We are delighted to confirm funding for Colston Hall. This important concert venue is regarded with huge affection by performers and audiences alike and this programme of redevelopment will create something of which the city of Bristol can be justly proud.”

The revamp will also feature a new performance space, improved disabled access and a range of bars and cafés – including a family-style café spilling out onto a continental-style public piazza.

A detailed planning application is currently being considered by the Central Area Development Control Committee. The venue is scheduled for completion by 2008. Details: www.bristol-city.gov.uk