IT'S taken seven years, during which time it faced an uncertain future but this week work finally got underway on the Lyric Theatre's £16.5million masterplan.

On Monday (26) a breaking ground ceremony was held to mark the start of a 15-month period which will completely transform the Hammersmith theatre as for the first time in its 30-year history it undergoes expansion and refurbishment.

A new two-storey building will house drama, dance and recording studios, an editing suite, music practice rooms, a film and TV studio, a screening room, a digital playspace, a sensory room for children with disabilities and new wardrobe, props and scenic workshops.

New meeting and seminar rooms will also be created while the existing building will be furnished with a new bar and café.

The aim of the scheme is to inspire future generations to become involved with the arts and the hope is that the new venue will act as a community hub.

However, it has been a rocky path for the theatre's executive director Jessica Hepburn, who at one stage thought the scheme might never get off the ground.

She said: "This is a really monumental moment. The last few years have been like the 100 metre hurdles and it's felt like some of those hurdles were 100 metres high.

"In a recession, schemes like this are usually the first to have their funding cut and with the change of government there came an air of uncertainty. We've spent the last three years trying to raise the £16.5m but at the same time you need to keep all the investors happy, because if one decides to pull out it could set a precedent.

"Then last year, the landlord who owned the whole site decided to sell, which put the scheme in jeopardy.

"The new landlord was unsure whether they wanted to do this, so it took a long time to persuade them that this would be a good project for them and us, in terms of the regeneration of Hammersmith.

"It's been a complex project and along the way some people thought it would be easier to just forget it but the breaking ground ceremony really was a huge moment for us."

The scheme has received backing and investment from Hammersmith and Fulham Council, who have put in £5m, the Greater London Authority, the Department of Education and the Arts Council.

The first phase of construction will see an existing building behind the theatre being demolished and the structure for the new two-storey building being erected.

Once that building is up it will be connected to the existing theatre and then amendments will be made - this will include re-rendering the building to make it more sustainable, building new office space and renovating the bar area.

At the front of the building the Lyric's rebranded logo will replace the current sign and a new nine metre high piece of art has been commissioned, inspired by the theatre's history.

As well as providing a place for creative youngsters to come and learn, Ms Hepburn believes that the development is important for the regeneration of the town.

She said: "Shops are brilliant but it's great to have a central building at the heart of the town, a hub for everyone.

"It's about time West London had some investment and I hope the building gets used by absolutely everybody - all walks of life coming together in one place.

"It will be a place where people from different backgrounds congregate and that can only be good for society."

When the development is completely finished in February 2014, Ms Hepburn expects it to have a positive impact on thousands of young people's lives.

Leader of the council, Nicholas Botterill, added: "The Lyric is already far more than a theatre and this major regeneration project will not only help to inspire generations of young people but also secure this wonderful institution's place at the heart of the borough's cultural community for years to come.

"Combined with the emerging plans to breathe new life into the rundown area around the town hall and other projects along King Street, this could be the start of the rebirth of Hammersmith town centre."