The people spearheading the campaign for a creative hub for Clevedon have decided to ‘strike while the iron is hot’ and submitted a planning application.

The Curzon cinema, in Old Church Road, has been leading the plan to secure the seaside town a creative space.

A change of use application has now been submitted to transform Clevedon Library, also in Old Church Road, into a hub, featuring theatre space, community archives, media production and training space.

The chief executive of the community-owned cinema, Suzannah Shaw, hopes the plans will not only build on the Curzon’s reputation but also ‘revitalise’ the town centre.

Suzannah added: “With the plan to support the delivery of new jobs, we hope the increased footfall in the town centre will stimulate interest in it.

“The project aims to attract more out-of-town visitors and increase community and recreational engagement among local people.

“We also want to encourage visitors to venture beyond the immediate seafront to the town’s eclectic and attractive mix of independent shops and businesses as they can benefit from the increased footfall.”

The team is waiting to hear back from the Coastal Communities Fund where it has applied for more than £860,000 to buy the library building and make some ‘basic structural changes’.

Suzannah added: “The creation of dynamic co-working spaces and a performing arts centre close to a refurbished cinema would result in increased day and night time economies and tap into the cultural tourism market.

“We knew Coastal Communities would announce this fund in the spring and there was a narrow window for the application.

“As there may not be another fund for a few years, we had to strike while the iron was hot.”

Suzannah has already been approached by some people who have shown an interest in a co-working space which was ‘closer to home’.

She added: “With limited available space in Bristol and waiting lists of four years reported in creative locations, it is critical to the development of the creative industries to provide space to allow this sector to grow.”

The creative hub is also hoped to attract more businesses to the area and more families.