Plans to re-open a flagship arts centre on Teesside are set to be discussed - a year after mounting debts forced it to close.

The �8.5m Arc centre opened in January 1999 offering cinema, comedy, theatre, music and restaurants.

But the venue closed in November last year after low audience figures created debts of �750,000.

Stockton Council will meet next week to discuss how the venue will be used in the future.

All the debts have been dealt with... this is very much a brand new start

Councillor Alex Cunningham

Councillor Alex Cunningham, from Stockton Council, told BBC Radio Cleveland it was great news for Teesside.

Mr Cunningham said the venue would reopen as a new arts centre, but with a tighter grip on spending.

He said: "It is going to be an arts centre. It will promote learning, participation, the production of high quality theatre, music dance and the digital arts.

"The vision includes having a number of resident groups in the complex who will each attract their own funding and pay a contribution to the running costs of the building."

'New start'

Mr Cunningham said the underlying financial reasons for Arc's failure had been tackled, but he hoped the centre would still get funding from outside sources.

"There was insufficient income in the past which is why it failed. The important thing now is that we have a firm foundation for income, supported, of course, by subsidies.

"The Arts Council now own the building... they will put money in and I hope the local authority will continue to support it, as it does other arts venues.

"The arts can be such a regeneration tool and I'd like to see it develop along those lines.

"All the debts have been dealt with... this is very much a brand new start."

Plans for the future of Arc will be discussed at a meeting on 24 October.