Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council has announced plans for a £300m Civic and Cultural Quarter (CCQ) in the city’s Waterdale district.

The council aims to regenerate 10 hectares – around 25 per cent – of the city centre, providing leisure amenities, housing, Doncaster’s first public square and a new performance venue.

The scheme will be delivered in four stages over six to eight years, with the final phase expected to be finished in 2015.

The first phase, to be built between 2008-10, will include the construction of a performance venue, a public square, a four-star boutique hotel and the pedestrianisation of Waterdale Road.

The second phase, which is due completion in 2012, will introduce a range of leisure facilities to the city centre, which are yet to be confirmed. As part of the second phase, the Civic Theatre will be replaced by a large leisure centre.

The council plans to invest £100m on the scheme, with the rest coming from private sector partnerships and companies.

In a statement, the council said: “The Civic and Cultural Quarter will totally transform Waterdale. The quality and content of the plans will raise the profile of this part of town to new levels.

“The carefully thought out layout and consistent building design will replace the current mismatch of properties, styles and uses giving the area a clear identity.”