Plans to reinvent one of the region's best-known but long-neglected attractions have been given the green light, with Weston-super-Mare's Tropicana set to be transformed into a 5,000 capacity venue.

North Somerset Council says work is due to start in the coming months and will be completed by next summer.

When it opened in 1937, for a while it was Europe's largest open-air swimming pool. It was so popular that 135,000 people visited in the first eight weeks.

The attraction closed in 2000 and for the decades since there have been questions asked over what the future would look like.

Cllr Mike Solomon from North Somerset Council says the finished redevelopment will be "a really first-class venue where we can get not only top musical acts but cultural events".

He said: "We've managed to get another £2.7m from the Arts Council to help with partnering on cultural events so it's going to be a fantastic venue bringing lots of people into the town, employment, and helping our economy enormously."

This is far from the first time plans have been created to repurpose the Tropicana, but Cllr Solomon said: "The demolition will start any day now, [the project] will definitely happen because we've got the money and that's all set aside and ready to be used."

Ten years ago visitors flocked to Tropicana for Banksy's Dismaland exhibition, with 150,000 people from around the world giving the town a £20million boost.

Cllr Solomon acknowledges that local people may be sceptical about any new attempts to redevelop the site.

He said: "There have been so many different ventures, unfortunately we didn't get anybody who wanted to put a pool in. If they had come forward we'd have listened, but yes this is going to happen.

"It will keep the charm of the old building. There is a new structure going up that has had mixed feelings but it has to be functional. It has to stand up to the elements here in Weston-super-Mare, and it has to have the right acoustics.

"We need to make our final decision on the operator which should be done and published at full-council in June."