PLANS for a £350,000 refurbishment of the Consett Empire have been unveiled.

Owners at the workers' co-operative Leisure Services Ltd are pinning their hopes on a £50,000 Lottery grant and on Derwentside District Council approving a £300,000 hand-out.

The 114-year-old Empire, and its sister theatre, Stanley Civic Hall, has had a bumper year with a 200 per cent increase in theatre attendance.

And, after the failure of high profile National Lottery arts ventures such as the Arc, in Stockton, Consett Empire management say that it is time smaller, long-standing theatres were backed.

The facelift would include providing disabled access to comply with rules enforceable in 2004, new roofing and redecoration.

"We have a lovely theatre and you'd be amazed at the affection it is held by people from a long way off," said the theatre's new manager, Nick Wiggins.

"However, the place as it is, is reaching the end of its shelf life."

He said he hopes that the Regional Arts Lottery Project and the council would recognise that the efforts being made to make the theatre a big success.

"We hope they will back us," he said.

Mr Wiggins said that there had been a slight increase in the number of shows in the last year but the main reason for the 200 per cent increase was higher profile shows.

A major coup was the Moscow Ballet's two sell-out shows. The ballet company will return in March to perform Giselle.

The latest plans follow a failed £700,000 Lottery application in 1997 which would have led to a major facelift of the Front Street theatre.