There could be an early Christmas present in store for a local beauty spot as it learns whether the first stage of its bid for £1.4m of lottery funds has been successful.

Members of the Friends of Radipole Park and Gardens heard at their annual meeting that they will have a decision from the Heritage Lottery Fund Board of Trustees regarding their bid on Wednesday, December 13.

The money from the fund will be used in a major project to help restore the physical and cultural heritage of the park, which is considered to be in need of enhancement and repair. 

The Friends submitted the stage one bid back in August after Weymouth and Portland Borough Council’s management committee backed the bid and agreed to allocate £30,000 in match funding.

The bid was due to only be for £1m, but it has now been upped to £1.4m to cover further costs for the big makeover. The park is owned and maintained by the borough council, with voluntary support from the Friends.

Chairman of the Friends Mike Goulden said at the meeting that if the stage one bid is successful they will move into the ‘development phase,’ where they will be granted funds to employ a project manager and park development officer to further develop the plans for the park with the Friends and the council.

He added: “We will have funds to employ all of the specialists required to fully form the plans, and firm up costs by going to tender for the major works. If we get approval at stage one we are told that 90 percent of bids get through stage two and deliver their projects. So it’s ours to lose by poor planning which is why the development team will be important.”

Through the development phase and afterwards, Mr Goulden said the Friends have a major activity plan to work on and begin to implement as part of the bid, for which they will need a lot of support from members and supporters of the group.

The plan includes growing the Friends’ membership by 50 each year, holding a fundraising event every month next year, and raising £10,000 for a new sensory garden and building it.

The plan also includes holding focus group meetings to involve park users in some of the key aspects of the park’s development.

It is hoped the activity plan will create opportunities for people to volunteer and support the park’s future and develop a wider audience for the park.

Part of the plan also involves holding a variety of events, including community workshops, to enable people to learn about the history of the gardens.