Councillors are putting up a £500,000 loan to complete the restoration of Brighton's Dome theatre complex.

The loan is being made by Brighton and Hove City Council to the Festival Society to help finish work on renovating the Dome.

Labour council leader Ken Bodfish said the loan would help the Society lever in another £2 million from other sources.

He said the economic base of the city was partly based on cultural industries and the Dome redevelopment was central to them.

He said: "We need to create a place where they can flourish and the Dome restoration is a key project."

Culture and regeneration director Sarah Tanburn said the Dome restoration had been an extremely difficult project involving intricate work to a Grade I listed building.

Liberal Democrat group leader Paul Elgood said: "We have to think hard before loaning £500,000 in the council's present financial position.

"But the restoration of the Dome is probably the sort of project that is worth it."

Tory councillor Brian Oxley said: "The £500,000 is a very considerable sum of money.

"I am not attacking the work the Brighton Festival Society does, but given the financial crisis we ought to look very carefully at this."

The council and festival society had hoped the £20 million restoration would have been completed in time to open to the public by now.

The Dome, originally stables for the Royal Pavilion before it became a concert hall, will now open next year.

Other buildings, including the museum, the Corn Exchange and the Pavilion Theatre, are part of the same complex, which the council has leased to the society for 50 years.

The restoration work has been funded by the Arts Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the South East England Development Agency and the council.