A continental-style cafe bar is at the centre of plans to revitalise Keighley's ailing Cav-endish Court shopping arcade.

At least 54 jobs will be created as the Lawkholme Lane arcade is transformed into an upmarket shopping centre.

More than £87,000 of cash from Keighley's Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) will be spent on the improvements. Owners of Cavendish Court and its existing cafe will find the rest of the£400,000-plus total cost of the project.

SRB bosses hope to stop the drift of tenants - three traders have left in the past six months - and attract shoppers back.

Centrepiece of the new plans is the expansion of the existing Courtyard Cafe to cater for 150 people in a new European atmosphere. Owner Stuart Hastings will open from 9am- 10pm to offer food and drink - including alcohol. Keighley brewery Timothy Taylor has pledged its support.

The rest of Cavendish Court will be transformed with new entrance doors, ventilation, heaters and alarm systems, and a new floor to replace the unpopular cobbles. The owners will reduce the number of shops to four by enlarging the current units.

The SRB's annual meeting had to be called off this week because up to 400 people were expected to attend. Only 200 people would have been able to fit into the meeting room, but many more had shown an interest in the election of local people to the SRB board.

Elections for community representatives will now be held throughout the day on September 29 with an official count that evening in Victoria Hall. The meeting will be held on October 6. Anyone who wants to vote for a representative must join Keighley Regeneration Association by next Friday, and must live or work in the SRB area. Full details are available from the SRB office on North Street, opposite Keighley police station.

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