Plans for the £31.5m refurbishment of the Leeds Grand Theatre and adjoining Assembly Room have been submitted to Leeds City Council.

A number of alterations are planned for the Grade II* listed building, which opened in 1878, in order to restore the building’s heritage and create a more comfortable and accessible environment for audiences.

Improvements will include replacing and re-raking seats in the stalls in order to provide better views and more leg room, installing better air ventilation and air cooling, rebalancing the orchestra pit and stage in order to provide enhanced acoustics and providing better access for people with disabilities.

Plans have also been submitted to overhaul the theatre’s adjoining Assembly Room, to provide space for rehearsals and community use and a 350-seat auditorium. The full architecture of the building will also be restored.

When complete, the Grand Theatre will provide Opera North, the national opera company for the north of England, with its first permanent home.

The refurbishment is being supported by Arts Council England, which has given £15m towards the total cost of the project. Leeds City Council, which owns the building, has contributed £5.5m. The remainder of the funds will be sourced from a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund and a £5.5m public appeal which has been launched.

Subject to planning approval, work is due to begin on the theatre in 2005 and be completed by Autumn 2006 with the Assembly Rooms expected to be completed by early 2007.

General manager of the theatre and member of the project board, Warren Smith, said: “This project will give us the opportunity to maintain our position as the top lyric theatre of the region.

“Over 240,000 people attend 300 performances a year and we hope that this development will improve their theatre-going experience.”