BLACKBURN’S King George’s Hall could be in line for a multi-million pound make-over.

The early 20th Century Grade II listed entertainment venue could be revamped following the current Lottery-funded regeneration of the surrounding Blakey Moor and Northgate areas.

Blackburn with Darwen Council bosses have started the process of looking for possible grants to pay for the refurbishment of the building, opened in 1921 and last extensively renovated in 1994.

King George's Hall is already set to have its frontage spruced up under the current £3.8million Blakey Moor Townscape Heritage Project.

A total of £150,000 has been allocated for cleaning the frontage, and installing new signage and lighting. which is expected to be done next year.

Council bosses have now started to looking for grants for a full refurbishment of the rest of the building after a specialist survey found it structurally sound. They have already made an application to the National Lottery's Cultural Development Fund .

Any refurbishment would concentrate on the interior including the 2,000 seater balconied main auditorium and smaller 750 Windsor Suite for show sand functions. The building also includes the EastzEast South Asian restaurant in the former Blakey's Cafe/Bar.

Cllr Damian Talbot, council leisure boss, said: "We commissioned a full structural survey which found that the building was sound.

"King George's Hall is a fine building and wonderful concert hall - the jewel in Blackburn's cultural crown.

"We would love to to bring it up to the standard people expect in the 21st Century.

"The interior needs a full refurbishment to prepare King George's for the modern age.

"We are spending £150,000 on the frontage in the heritage lottery scheme but anything else is at a very early stage."

Cllr Andy Kay, borough finance boss, confirmed the application to the Cultural Development Fund.

He said: "If somebody offered a grant for the full cost of refurbishing King George's Hall, we would snatch their hand off.

"It would cost several million pounds as it is a listed building. In the current financial situation we cannot commit to that kind of spending. The council would have problems raising match funding as we only know what we will receive from government one year at a time."

Julia Simpson, manager of the Blakey Moor Townscape Heritage Project, said: "One of the exciting things about this scheme is that it links with other projects and may open up opportunities to win grants for other things such as a multi-million pound refurbishment of the rest of King George's Hall after we have renovated the frontage."