Bournemouth Borough Council has agreed plans for a new £8m arts and education centre to replace the Winter Gardens, a former concert hall which has been in decline since the 1970s.

The centre will feature a Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) Music Education Centre, a base for Dance South West, an art house cinema, an outdoor performance space and a café.

Two separate performance spaces of around 400- and 200-capacity will be capable of jointly creating a third space for up to 1,000 people.

There will also be a multimedia recording and editing studio, a rehearsal room and music equipment, classes and workshops available for all ages.

In addition to the £8m to build the arts centre, Bournemouth council has committed a £300,000-a-year on-going subsidy to support the arts facilities, but will also be seeking additional funding from other bodies, such as Arts Council England.

The council will work with Dance South West, BSO, the Arts Institute and Bournemouth & Poole College to combine arts education with professional artists and performances.

Councillor Angela Manton, project champion, said: “We are keen to get the ball rolling. Our research tells us that local people want a venue not just for classical performances, but somewhere they can see comedy, jazz, dance, world music and much more.” Details: www.bournemouth.gov.uk