COUNCILLORS have their fingers crossed that a National Lottery hand out will help safeguard the future of Christchurch's historic Highcliffe Castle.

A successful bid for lottery funds from Christchurch Borough Council could pave the way for a further £2.5 million of grants to spend on the Grade One listed building.

The council plans to use the cash to open up a further third of the Victorian landmark to the public and spruce up other dilapidated areas of the building.

Plans include the introduction of an education suite, new galleries telling the story of Highcliffe Castle and basic amenities such as toilets and heating, which would enable the building to stay open all year round and in the evenings.

The cash would also pay for the conservation and display of the castle's unique collection of stained glass, some of which dates back to the 12th century.

Portfolio holder for Highcliffe Castle, Cllr Eric Spreadbury, said: "The officers are busy preparing the lottery bid.

"This includes numerous reports on how we intend to offer education on the site and how we shall develop new audiences, as well as the technical details such as plans and costings.

"As a small local authority facing difficult budget decisions for 2005 a successful lottery bid is now crucial to our providing a sustainable future for the castle."

The castle received a £2.65 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 1995, but another bid in 2002 failed, despite the support of English Heritage.

The borough council took over the management of the site, which costs around £140,000 a year to maintain, in 1999. It has since attracted more than 250,000 people and hosted more than 500 weddings.

First published: Sept 21