A DISUSED music centre in the North-East will come alive again if council plans are approved.

Businessman David Cox hopes to revive The Music Centre, in Darlington, and turn it into a live entertainment venue with recording studios, rehearsals rooms and an auditorium.

The building, a former school, dates back to 1871 and was last used four years ago by schools in County Durham for rehearsals.

The cabinet at Darlington Borough Council has agreed to lease the council-owned property for ten years on condition planning permission is approved.

The plans to open the centre as a music venue with a bar and cafe will go before the planning committee in the next few weeks.

In February, Mr Cox's proposals to open the business at the Beehive ballroom, on the town's Lingfield estate, collapsed.

Negotiations with estate owner the Marchday Group, based in London, fell through the day the lease was due to be signed.

Mr Cox said: "I am absolutely thrilled that we have found a new venue.

"The centre hasn't been used for about four years. We are hoping to enhance the building and bring out its features, but also bring it into 2003."

It is hoped that if planning is approved, the centre will be open within six weeks for use as rehearsal space. The overall completion of the venue is expected to take up to four months.

Mr Cox has already had hundreds of applications from people in the area to sign up for the members-only centre.

It will be used by local bands and musicians, dance and drama groups, orchestras, schools and youth clubs.

Music lovers will also be able to visit the centre to watch bands in the auditorium, which holds 150 people.