A £1.5M scheme to give a new life to the Milton Rooms in Malton has been agreed by the building's committee.

Organisers hope to begin the work within two years, though the scheme is similar to one committee members abandoned four years ago because of a lack of funding. Now, they believe, cash help might be more forthcoming.

Last week, the Milton Rooms management committee, which is made up of chairman David Ackroyd and volunteers from the Malton and Norton area, agreed to move forward with the plans.

"Four years ago we could not get funding because lottery money was tied up," said Mr Ackroyd.

"The project would have cost £1.2m then but taking inflation into account we believe we'll need this extra cash. We feel the time is right now to get things running again. We are aiming to get funding so that building work can start within two years."

The venue's future was in doubt last year when a special meeting to form a new committee failed to attract enough members. But a new committee was formed at a second crunch meeting held in September.

"The Milton Rooms is about 40 years out of date. The acoustics and lighting need sorting out," added Mr Ackroyd. "We need to get proper retractable tiered seating in and a better stage so we can attract more professional performances. We want to improve toilet and catering facilities."

The committee is also undergoing negotiations with St Michael's Church over the Assembly Rooms.

"We want to take that over and make it part of the Milton Rooms. The Assembly Rooms could be used for smaller meetings and functions."

The venue is currently used for discos, table-top events and performances by local amateur music and drama groups, but Mr Ackroyd felt it had the potential to also attract professional events and business conferences.

Mr Ackroyd said vital to the plan was the involvement of local experts. "Ideally, we would like the help of an architect or someone with an expert knowledge of building work," he said.

If you would like to offer your professional skills for the project, or have a knowledge of putting together a bid for lottery funding, contact David Ackroyd on (01944) 712138.

Updated: 09:58 Thursday, February 14, 2002