A charitable organisation is stepping up its aim of making Letchworth a centre for the arts.

Along with the blockbuster decision to expand Broadway Cinema, the Letchworth Arts Centre is also getting in on the action as the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation looks to swell the town’s creative offering.

The centre on The Arcade – which is now run by the Foundation – will be refurbished this year in order to attract larger theatre companies and artists into the town.

The creative stronghold on The Arcade will also be bolstered by the news that the unit which is being occupied by the Herts at War exhibition until August, will be turned into a community museum thereafter with St Christopher School set to takeover with a centenary display.

There are also plans to convert an Eastcheap shop – which was until recently occupied by Love Letchworth – into a box office selling tickets to events dotted around the town.

Foundation chief executive John Lewis said: “The refurbishment of the arts centre space will involve improving the art gallery and the cafe. We want to refresh and uplift the place to allow for a broader range of exhibitions.

“After the success of the Herts of War project, which has proved to be a fantastic community experience, the unit in The Arcade will be rolled out for other groups.

“The new box office will let more people know about what is going on in the town.”

The Da Vinci Studio School of Creative Enterprise hope to turn the Da Vinci Hall building, formerly called Plinston, into a new college building focused on creative arts.