PLANS to revamp more of Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre are back on the cards following a VAT windfall.

An additional £300,000 will be spent on improving the first floor theatre space itself, following the unveiling of the ground floor Civic Arts Centre on which £400,000 has been spent.

Originally plans to renovate the entire building had hinged on a £1.6million lottery bid, which was turned down.

Following investment in the ground floor rehearsal and lobby spaces from the council’s own capital budget, an additional £300,000 will now be spent upstairs after the council was able to reclaim some VAT.

Original plans for the theatre had included outdoor banners and extra lighting to improve the frontage of the building and replacing 20-year-old electrical equipment with the latest lighting, gadgets and effects.

The council also wanted to do a complete revamp of the decor and disabled access, including access back stage.

Work now completed on the Civic Arts Centre downstairs has seen some improvements to the frontage and a disabled lift for customers. However disabled performers are still not able to access parts of the building.

Leisure in Hyndburn, which runs the theatre for the council, said the cash was still not enough to carry out everything the building needs, but would result in great improvements.

Chief Executive Peter Baron said: “We have a wish list of everything which needs to be done and the task now is to prioritise what are the most important items to spend the money on.

"We are also consulting local theatre groups and regular users of the theatre to see what their priorities would be.

"The investment is really good news and it’s just a question of spending it wisely now.”

Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe said: “We never thought in our wildest dreams we would be able to find the extra capital to look at improving the upper floor this year, so it’s wonderful news."