THEY are indeed ambitious plans. Under a new project revealed last week, Tamworth's Assembly Rooms are set to undergo the biggest redevelopment in their entire 120-year history.

Under the scheme the historic building, which has remained largely unchanged since opening to the public in 1889, would be modernised and extended to meet the demands of the 21st century.

Inside the building there could be new dance, gallery or studio areas, better facilities, an improved frontage, extra seating and new technology that could help to attract bigger names.

But the changes would radiate out much further and into the heart of the town centre itself.

The project could see the laying of new street paving through the streets to create a sense of identity and uniformity, with the addition of designer lighting – linking streets, businesses, restaurants, cafes and pubs together in a new "cultural quarter".

It would bring together other key landmark buildings as part of an even wider plan to regenerate the town.

"We are not underestimating the challenge," said Tamworth borough council's Rob Mitchell, deputy director of communities, planning and partnership, this week.

"It is an ambitious and exciting project."

He added: "But these plans will be very sympathetic to the existing building. We will not do anything that will detract from the heritage of the building."

It is estimated to cost upwards of £1m – and possibly more – to create a viable arts and entertainment centre to attract people from outside the area and town residents themselves.

And the council has shown its seriousness about the scheme by already earmarking £400,000 in this year's budget.

Rob continued: "The building does need work doing on it. There are some things we can do to modernise it but there are also plans to extend it."

He continued: "The look and feel of the building is not decided yet. The project is at an early stage and we are still drawing up the plans.

"At the moment the building does not have a strong presence and, even when it is open, it looks closed."

Things really are not set in stone.

Officials "hope" the work could begin by the time the building celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2013/2014 and they "hope" further funding can be found from external sources such as the Arts Council or Heritage Lottery Fund. It is not yet known how long the work will take and much will depend on the amount of money raised.

But importantly they are looking for "corporate sponsors" who could provide major investment for the project.

"The demand is out there," Rob said. "People of all ages are using the Assembly Rooms. There are currently 100,000 visitors to the venue every year.

"But a lot of people travel out of the area for the arts. With this plan, people can come into the town to enjoy the arts, and enjoy a cultural night out in the town centre."

Once the money is secured and the plans have been finalised the Assembly Rooms will be closed as the workmen move in. All groups which use the centre have already been consulted.

Alternative venues will be used for musical and theatrical performances.

"We have spoken to all the art groups and they are all aware of what is happening," Rob continued. "We are already looking at alternatives."

While there are no firm designs yet available, chiefs have been consulting with the bosses of other theatres including Birmingham's Hippodrome and Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre – both historic buildings which have undergone extensive and successful renovations within the last few years.

"There has been quite a lot of research done," Rob said. "We have a skilled and dedicated team and they have used their professional views and customer feedback.

"It is a listed building and the character of the building is very important. We want to keep its charm."

Rob added: "It is about making a difference. We are trying to make arts and theatre more accessible and this is about meeting a growing demand for arts and entertainment in Tamworth.

"We might as well go for something that does meet the ambition.

"There's also a lot of potential in this development for businesses to use this building as a place where they can showcase what they are doing.

"It's part of a number of projects which will hopefully help to regenerate the town centre."

The most important aspect is money. The whole project will hinge on how much can be raised – and the more money there is, the more ambitious the project will be.

Rob said: "It's a long-term project and it is really early days. I could take 12 to 18 months just to see if we can fund it. There is no guarantee of funding.

"But with the right amount of money we can do it."