Town councillors have agreed to give up to £15,000 for a new lift to be built at the Priory Theatre.

Kenilworth Town Council signed off on the spend at last week's meeting with councillors unanimously backing the grant.

"This project is a critical infrastructure requirement to ensure that Kenilworth's premier community theatre remains inclusive and accessible to all residents as the town's population continues to expand," a bid for funding to the council said.

The Priory had initially asked for up to £30,000 for the works, but the town council agreed to give half the amount as other funding streams are promised to the venue on a 'match funding' basis.

"The need for a reliable lift is shown through feedback from our audience and volunteer base over the past months, we have recorded instances where the current lift's unreliability or 'out of order' status prevented residents from attending performances," the bid continued. 

"We have many local senior groups who have highlighted that a guaranteed, modern lift is a deciding factor in whether they feel confident attending evening events. 

"For example, the Kenilworth Lions take a whole show for the elderly and disadvantaged of Kenilworth every year for the pantomime, which will not be possible without a reliable lift."

The town council's grant will come from its CIL funding - revenue raised from local developers to pay for infrastructure improvements in the town.

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Plans state the works to remove the old lift and replace it will "take a few days, and can be done between shows".

Works are due to start once funding is in place.