A CONTROVERSIAL former retail centre which has been been derelict for more than a decade could have a new life as a concert venue capable of staging shows for 5,000 people.

The Jacksons Landing centre on Hartlepool Marina will be used to stage a major music event titled the We Are Family Festival on Saturday, September 19 - if planning permission is granted as expected.

The building was bought for £1.5m by cash-strapped Hartlepool Borough Council in November, 2013, despite the authority making serious cuts in other areas.

A two-year interest-free loan from a Government growth fund was used to buy the property but it has remained derelict. However, the building and surrounding area is expected to be a key part of the major Regeneration Masterplan proposal for the town which is due to go before councillors next month.

A suggestion for the building to be bulldozed for new housing was previously been put forward as part of the Masterplan consultations, but that is believed to be just one of several options.

A temporary 'change of use' planning application has been submitted to the council, which, if passed, will allow the music festival to go-ahead in September.

The festival will be on the ground floor after adaptations have been made. If successful, it is possible other events could be staged there, but council leader Christopher Akers-Belcher has described that idea as "speculative."

Cllr Akers-Belcher said: "We will be coming forward with options to develop the site over the summer. In the meantime, hosting a major music event is an excellent way to utilise the site but it is, of course, subject to the appropriate planning and licensing permissions being granted."

The We Are Family Festival will, if permission is granted, be staged by a Hartlepool collective organisation called The Jar Family. Major North-East acts due to play include Sunderland's pop act, Hyde and Beast, indie band Frankie and The Heartstrings, Newcastle's funk duo Smoove and Turrell and Hartlepool's own Jar Family.

Max Bianco of Jar Family said: "We wanted to create something that really celebrated the vast musical talent in the North-East."

Camerons Brewery will use the event to showcase its own range of cask ales.

Tickets cost £6 per person and are available from 9am on FridayJUNE26 from ticketweb.co.uk/event/we-are-family-festival-tickets/182447 or in person at Christ Church Booking Office, Church Square, Hartlepool, TS24 7EQ. Alternatively call 01429 890000. Find out more, including a full list of acts at wearefamilyfestival.com