WORK on Bromsgrove's long awaited multi-purpose arts centre is set to start later this year, the Advertiser/Messenger can exclusively reveal.

But details were being kept firmly under wraps until tomorrow when a press conference will be held at the Council House.

The design for the centre, to be built in conjunction with NEW College in School Drive, was announced by Bromsgrove District Council in November 2000. Work was expected to start that summer and take a year to complete.

Then the authority anticipated cash from a £2.5m deal with ASDA to extend its Market Street store and for a guarantee the council would not sell the Victoria Ground to a rival, would finance the scheme.

But to the irritation of the council, talks with supermarket bosses have dragged on, forcing the authority to dip into its own capital reserves, bootsted by the sale of council houses and freehold land, to fund the project.

The news will be welcomed by members of Bromsgrove Arts Association who will hear details of the plan tomorrow night.

Many of them felt aggrieved when Labour lost the last local elections and the prospect of a purpose built arts centre on Recreation Ground as part of a development scheme was snatched from their grasp at the eleventh hour.

Then the victorious Tories vowed to save the Rec and provide the town with an arts centre elsewhere.

The council's executive cabinet is set to approve the £2.5m expenditure tonight as well as considering the annual revenue implications of up to £200,000 a year, which could be less depending nn the college's contribution.

An ASDA spokeswoman, denying they were dragging their feet, said their proposals and the arts centre have never been linked formally, but negotiations are on going and a meeting with the council is scheduled for this week.

She stressed the company had to be satisfied all legal and technical aspects are in order before the deal can be concluded. Some information is still awaited from the council, she added.