Ambitious plans to transform Croydon town centre into a vibrant cultural quarter drawing visitors from across the south-east have been unveiled.

At Monday's cabinet meeting Croydon Council discussed plans to create a designated cultural zone within the heart of the town, which could include a classical concert hall seating up to 2,000 people, a rock venue as well as a focus on public art.

Other ideas include establishing a piazza where people could enjoy live street entertainment and food as in Covent Garden and promoting Croydon on the European street arts festival map, making it a major cultural destination to rival the likes of Brighton, Manchester and Cardiff.

The proposed cultural quarter would stretch from the Gateway site and encompass Fairfield Halls, the Warehouse Theatre, Croydon Clocktower, Surrey Street and the site of the grade two listed pumping station.

Councillor Adrian Dennis, cabinet member for planning, environment and urban development, said one of the main planks of the scheme would be to transform the busy road network and roundabout outside Fairfield Halls into a piazza with access to an upgraded Queen's Gardens.

The scheme is intended to improve Croydon's chances of a successful bid for city status in the future.

The council employed ABL Cultural Consulting to assist in drawing up the plans for the cultural quarter last May.

The council has said it would look to the Mayor of London, London Development Agency and Arts Council England to fund for the multi-million scheme.

Councillor Stuart Collins, cabinet member for culture and sport, said: "This is obviously an exciting plan of works. Having a cultural quarter will be a massive boost to the town and to the arts encouraging more and more visitors to come here."

The council has been considering the idea of creating a cultural quarter since it laid out its blueprint for regenerating the central area of the borough in its Vision 2020 plan five years ago.

The grand plan for Croydon's cultural quarter could include: l A 200 seat small-scale theatre or dance space l A large classical concert hall with 1,500 to 2,000 seats l A 1,500 to 2,000 capacity standing rock or pop venue l A contemporary art gallery or art museum capable of hosting touring exhibitions l A digital arts, multi-media or art film facility l The Surrey Street area may be designated a cultural industries development zone with creative industries encouraged to take up retail and office space l More people encouraged to live in the town centre l A museum l New squares built outside the pumping station and the High Street outside Grant's with street performers l A piazza created outside Fairfield Hall and an improvement of Queen's Gardens and massive overhaul of the road system and roundabout.