An arts centre which made history when it opened in the Sixties has been awarded more than £45,000.

Staff at the University of Sussex Gardner Arts Centre are using the £46,200 Heritage Lottery funding to consult architects and other specialists to restore and modernise the building which they say no longer meets audiences' and artists' needs and is not accessible to the disabled.

Councillor Sue John, deputy leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, said: "The Gardner is part of the life of many people in Brighton and Hove, either as audience members or participants in art classes or workshops.

"However, access to the auditorium and gallery is by stairs, which creates problems for people with mobility difficulties.

"Although it is a relatively modern building, the Gardner was designed at a time when expectations for disabled access were very different from today.

"This grant will specifically address how to make the building accessible to all."

When it opened in 1969 it was the first campus-based arts centre and is one of eight listed buildings on the site designed by British architect Sir Basil Spence.

Deborah Grubb, chairwoman of the Gardner Arts Centre and Arts Council South East, said the award was an important first step in securing the future of the building.