AFTER success in the first round of Arts Council England’s capital funding programme, Poole’s Lighthouse now has 18 months to develop a scheme to update the building.

The centre was the only successful applicant in the south west and now has the green light to make a stage two application for a conditional grant of £4million towards a £5million refurb.

Lighthouse will need to raise the additional £1m and will start a major fundraising campaign for additional sponsorship, donations and grants.

Chief executive Elspeth McBain said she was thrilled they had got through the first stage.

She added: “If successful, this will enable us to develop and maintain a building fit for the 21st century, working closely with our partners BSO.

“For both organisations, Lighthouse is not just a performance space. It’s a place where we both originate and develop work that is then taken out to a much wider audience.

“Our objectives are developing joint programmes, productions and educational and marketing initiatives; these improvements will help this.”